The Deep State of Lighting
👉 SUBSCRIBE to our SUBSTACK for the full experience!Today we had the privilege of interviewing Michael Colligan.Join us as we discuss:How Michael became involved in the lighting industryHow we’re living in a fishtank of night pollutionHow to filter dirty electricity using incandescent bulbsWho is the Deep State of the lighting industry?What’s the future of light and LEDs in our society?Michael is best known as the creator and host of the Get a Grip on Lighting podcast, one of the most influential and the longest-running show in the lighting industry.With over 1,000 episodes recorded across various platforms, Michael has sparked conversations with hundreds of founders, innovators, and thought leaders in lighting, sustainability, night pollution, and darkness restoration.Beyond podcasting, Michael is also an inventor with a commercially successful U.S. patent for a recycling container designed to aid in mercury capture, with over 10,000 units sold to date. He has spent his career blending deep industry knowledge with raw, insightful dialogue.Often described as the jester in the lighting industry’s court, Michael uses humor, irreverence, and sharp wit to speak truth to power, even when the truth makes people uncomfortable.He coined the term “lighting industry deep state” to expose the quiet web of corrupt vested interests that extract hundreds of millions of dollars in valueless rents from the industry under the guise of charitable initiatives and non-profit work, shaping public policy and manipulating the perceptions of stakeholders and governments alike.These dark actors have caused significant damage to society, including the near-total pollution of the night and the quietude and solace it represents with various electric light sources, the inability to change a light bulb or repair a fixture, the destruction of domestic lighting manufacturing, and the emerging health risks caused by exposure to high-luminance LED light sources.Michael encourages his colleagues who listen to the shows he hosts and produces to investigate and expose these self-serving, corrupt parasites who enrich themselves by exploiting our society through the lighting industry.Let us know what you think of the episode, and let’s take back the night!
Ireland