Riverside county is experiencing rapid growth that threatens to pollute the night sky with a glow of man-made light. Most light pollution is an unnecessary by-product of poorly designed light fixtures that also waste energy, create visibility hazards, and can be considered intrusive. Failure to design for the effect of Riverside County's growth on the night time environment will affect communities, observatories, parks, and wilderness areas. While many of the effects are merely unpleasant or nuisances, some have safety ramifications and threaten scientific research at Palomar Observatory.