Following a "Do Pass" recommendation from the House Energy and Natural Resource Committee last week, HB362 cleared its first hurdle and is slated for hearing by the House Business and Industry Committee. Now, I know most of you check this column to get information about stargazing, but I would be remiss if I didn't share information about the proposed law.

HB362, titled "Mandatory Night Sky Act Enforcement," seeks to strengthen the now 10-year-old New Mexico Night Sky Protection Act. Passed in 1999 and signed into law by Gov. Gary Johnson, the law protects and preserves the aesthetic, cultural and scientific value of our night sky. The statute became one of the first of its kind in the United States.

Well, in the years since the Night Sky Protection Act was signed into law, a number of things are becoming clearer. Inefficient and improperly placed outdoor lighting wastes billions of dollars annually and squanders limited financial and energy resources. Spillover from unshielded and poorly aimed lighting not only creates a public safety hazard because of blinding glare, but its intrusion into our homes, in the form of light trespass, can be bad for our health.

Recent medical research suggests that melatonin production is suppressed by a lack of natural darkness. Melatonin appears to have a regulatory effect on cancer growth. The implications of early findings are sobering. In 2007, The International Agency for Cancer Research, a part of the World Heath Organization, identified shift work disruptive to circadian rhythm as a probable carcinogen.

However, the harmful effects of unchecked artificial lighting are not limited to the human body. Wildlife biologists and researchers have documented that artificial light alters the feeding, migratory and reproductive behaviors of many animal species, often with deadly results.

Sensible and night-sky friendly lighting advocates would never propose we turn out all the lights. Lighting that is properly aimed, shielded and energy efficient enhances public safety by reducing glare and the negative consequences of light trespass and sky glow. When viewed alongside renewable and green energy technologies, smart and energy-efficient lighting seems like a natural fit. Who among us can afford to waste money or energy?

Over the past decade, the urgency to protect New Mexico's night sky has propelled over a dozen local governments to enact ordinances to complement the Night Sky Protection Act.

At 5 p.m. Friday, the Night Sky Program and Garcia Street Books host Paul Bogard, editor of Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark. Bogard will be joined by Gary Harrison, a UNM professor, who will read his essay from the collection. Afterward, weather permitting, a telescope will be available for stargazing.

Tune in at 5 p.m. Thursday when Paul Bogard joins Diego Mulligan for The Journey Home on KSFR 101.1 FM. And be sure to join us Friday at Garcia Street Books for what promises to be an educational and stimulating evening.

Peter Lipscomb is director of the Night Sky Program for the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. Contact him at plipscomb@nmheritage.org