Welcome to LEDs Magazine’s News & Insights for Oct. 11, 2023. Let me state upfront that I am not fond of the “Tragedy Olympics,” where varying reports or events are pitted against one another to compete for which one garners the most public outrage. I imagine amongst the tragic headlines regarding conflict in the Gaza Strip, many of us have missed some news regarding a high number of migratory bird deaths centralized around the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, nearly 1,000 birds were killed after colliding with the building over the course of one autumn night. Unfortunately, this happens a lot more than I ever knew due to densely constructed cityscapes with highly reflective glass facades.

I recognize that malicious acts toward humankind are harrowing, and global citizens are deeply concerned about effects on their national security and personal safety. So perhaps some might view this environmental issue as less troubling. But in a world full of things we can’t control, one thing we can do – and should be doing – is a better job of respecting the natural world and other living beings. As much as humanity has shaped a built environment structured around its own needs, in some regards we seem to have lost touch with the impacts of building structures, energy infrastructure to support them, and amenities like outdoor area and municipal lighting that have affected the behavior and survival of other species.

We can build better with materials that reduce spatial confusion and bird collisions. We can save energy with renewable solutions that are also designed to minimize wildlife collisions. We can improve our approaches to illuminating the human-centric environment so that it preserves the rest of the natural world. Everything matters. So we’ve included a focus on outdoor lighting and initiatives to minimize our impact on the environment and night skies in this issue. We’ve also included links to other related Endeavor Business Media content.

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Carrie Meadows, [email protected]