Arena Green light tower would be bad for wildlife

Re: “Why San Jose should reconsider Urban Confluence project” (Page A12, April 11):

Breeze of Innovation, winner of Urban Confluence, presents an inherent conflict. While attempting to demonstrate the importance of clean energy, this astronomical light fixture will instead be harming our night sky, wildlife and nature at Arena Green — the riparian confluence of the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek.

Other iconic city structures with bright lights have already had negative effects on wildlife. The Sydney Opera House’s lighting attracts hordes of local and migrating bird species, adding to the hundreds of millions of avian deaths caused each year by artificial light and man-made structures. We must recognize that this design is fundamentally contradictory: It strives to symbolize sustainability, but will actually cause lasting, anthropogenic harm to our already hurting environment and wildlife.

A monument aiming to symbolize sustainability should be acutely aware of its effects on the natural environment. To save our environment, we must avoid lighting this structure.

— Giulianna Pendleton

Los Gatos