Learn more about why the night should be dark
While light pollution is perhaps one of the better known terms as it relates to artificial light at night, it is far from the only aspect of the issue that needs addressing. Outside light is only one facet of the problem. We need to think about all artificial light at night - outside and inside - to adequately address the problem from a human-needs perspective.
Light pollution - learn more about the problematic effects on humansDarkness seems like it should be scary, but if anything, we should be scared of night not being fully dark at night. From poor sleeping conditions due to excessive light at night to cancers that grow faster to the natural world around us not working as it should, humans should do much, much more to reduce light pollution and light trespass.
Why animals need darkness tooOne of the best ways to understand why animals need darkness is to look at a streetlight during the summer and see all of the insects flying through the light. The thing is, those insects should be doing something else. Which means they should be eating something else, and something else should be eating them. But that's not happening. And that's a problem.
Synthesis: "Given the long geological periods for which light cycles have previously been consistent, [artificial light] constitutes a novel environmental pressure, and one for which there is evidence for biological effects that span from molecular to community level. Here we provide a synthesis of understanding of the form and extent of this alteration, some of the key consequences for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, interactions and synergies with other anthropogenic pressures on the environment, major uncertainties, and future prospects and management options."
Study: "The results indicate that nighttime dim light exposure can cause functional changes of the circadian system, and suggest that altered circadian function could be one of the mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of light pollution on wild life ecology and human physiology."
Study: "Dimming artificial light within the range at which humans can still retain sufficient visual acuity is unlikely to eliminate any effect on the vision of nocturnal animals. However, reducing light intensities will decrease the areas affected by light trespass, including edge effects on dark refuges in urban areas. In addition, reducing intensities will reduce the impact of street lighting on skyglow."
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If we turn off lights at night, will we be less safe? (Short answer: No.)There seems to be a pervasive thought - especially among quite a few law enforcement agencies and apparently quite a lot of the general public - that if we only had more light, we would all be so much safer.
Pop quiz: When does crime occur at a nearly 2 to 1 ratio? Answer: During daylight hours! (per FBI statistics) So why - if at the time of day there is the most amount of light available (it's a bit difficult to outshine the Sun, much as some streetlights and headlights try), criminals and thieves and burglars don't seem to mind the light being there to stop them? And why - if we already have a lot of light at night anyway - doesn't the light stop them then? More effective - and recommended by those who have studied this a bit rather than simply reacting to a fear of the dark - is to use better methods of criminal deterrents. Indoor lights at night - why we need lower light inside tooOne of the problems of highlighting the term "light pollution" is that it seems to only apply to the night sky. But the problems of light at night are just as, if not more, important to consider inside your home as outside it. Here's why.
Looking for a (small) solution? Here's one. |
