Originally, artificial light seemed to be a miracle, an
extension of daylight hours and a defense against the darkness, but even Thomas
Edison, inventor of the light bulb, couldn’t have foreseen the environmental consequences
of light pollution. A lesser known environmental hazard, light pollution has
been linked to both human and animal health risks. Excessive amounts of artificial light can
cause depression, insomnia, and even cancer in humans. Unnatural light affects
vast amounts of wildlife, confusing nocturnal creatures. Birds’ faulty sense of
navigation and sea turtles’ misguided perceptions of the ocean are just some
examples of animals affected by continuous light. Due to these health issues we
now have to find a way to decrease the amount of light pollution, which is no
small task considering we live in a 24-7 electrical- lit world. Some possible
solutions include regulating the amount of light that large areas, like cities,
produce. This would reduce the amount of light given off and end many environmental
concerns. On the other hand, some say that less light would produce more crime
and violence, (if you can’t see the crime, you can’t stop it) and that asking humans
to compromise on night lighting might be too difficult of an economic
adaptation (how would businesses attract the “nightlife” without flashy signs
and billboards?). Another solution would be to create dark zones around the
world, where only small amounts, or even no amount, of light could be emitted. This
seems like a plausible solution, but obstacles are faced on where to put these
dark zones and how they will contend with expanding human development. Personally,
I believe that light pollution is a serious and underestimated issue. Furthermore,
regulations and policies should be enacted so that light pollution can be
reduced, within practical reason, and that dark zones, like natural parks,
should be established and then preserved in an effort to raise awareness of the
scope and consequences of artificial light.
This is a great article Maddie! As humans, we see all the affects of artificial light as positive but now the environmental consequences are overbearing. Light pollution is not only harmful to humans but also animals. I had no idea that excessive amounts of artificial light could cause depression, insomnia, and in some cases cancer in humans. I agree with the solution of regulating the amount of light that large cities produce, however I can see it leading to increased crime rates. We have to find ways to cut back on the amount light pollution and if a dark zone is what it takes then I think we as a Country need to take the next step.
ReplyDeleteArtificial light has played a huge role in all our lives today and Maddie makes a strong point. Artificial light not only can cause sickness but it is a waste of energy to our environment. If you think about it we use like almost every second of everyday, which is sad... I think that a possible solution for this problem of artificial light is when we are in our homes it would be smart to turn the lights off if we are not using them. It would save not only the environment but money. We need to keep the environment safe and alive for our future. If we regulate the amount of light used like Maddie said it would save the environment which would be a positive thing, but it could lead to danger in streets at nighttime. We have the ability to cut back and we need to do so now.
ReplyDeleteMaddie, I agree that light pollution is a problem that is taken much too lightly. Fortunately there are groups out there like the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) that are willing to work in order to “save the night sky.” Bob Gent, the president of this association stated in an article that “People are a lot like insects. We’re attracted to bright light. The problem is, insects tend to die when exposed to too much light.” This backs up your article’s assertion that “light pollution has been linked to both human and animal health risks.” The IDA concluded that 30% of our outdoor lighting is wasted and that the United States spends over 1 billion dollars per year on unused lighting. It is ridiculous to think that this issue is being neglected when ecosystems are being destroyed, energy is being wasted, and the health of human beings is put at risk. Hopefully groups like the IDA will be able to educate the public and convince society to incorporate practices like “lighting curfews” and directing light towards the ground in order to control lighting pollution.
ReplyDeleteIDA: http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/culture-causes/saving-night-sky
Wow, I did not know that cancer, insomnia and depression could be caused by too much artificial light! I think light pollution is definitely something that needs to be looked into. Also, I read an article recently about how the Perseid meteor shower was not so bright this year because of increasing light pollution. What a shame that our way of life can cause us not only disease, but also impaired viewing of such beautiful things. As mentioned in the article, the sky has influenced art and ways of life for thousands of years, and now we're losing that. Here is the article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130811-light-pollution-sky-space-science-perseids-meteor-stars-sky-night/
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