Glowing nights: understanding the impact of light pollution

Hi everyone,

Have you ever noticed how city lights drown out the stars, turning the night sky into a fuzzy glow? Today we're talking about light pollution and how it affects us and nature.

Firstly, let's go into the basics of light pollution, which comes in three different types. Glare, characterized by excessively bright and uncomfortable light, is akin to having a blinding torch directed into your eyes. Clutter, as the name suggests, results from light coming from multiple sources simultaneously, often leading to disorientation and confusion. Trespass light, is when light pollution extends into areas where it shouldn't be; for instance, office lights illuminating not only the office but also neighboring apartment blocks or street lights intruding into bedrooms and the night sky.

Light pollution is emitted from various sources, including buildings and offices, where interior and exterior lighting can contribute to the problem. Events like fireworks and light displays can also be sources of light pollution. Street and security lights, designed for better visibility, often spill excessive light into unintended areas. The constant activity at traffic intersections and airports contributes to the pervasive glow, that is so typical for cities. Even decorative lights, intended to bring make a house seem more homely or welcoming, can add to light pollution. The fuzzy glow observed in the night sky, that I mentioned earlier, is called "skyglow." It can be witnessed at a considerable distance from the source of light pollution, extending beyond the boundaries of towns or cities.

Light pollution is a big problem for animals. Birds living in city centers have developed to have smaller eyes than individuals of the same species living in the countryside. Smaller eyes are much better suited to the excessive light in cities. This means that the light pollution we produce is actively changing the evolution of our neighbours. Migratory birds aren't safe either. Like turtles, they often rely on the moon and stars to navigate on their long journeys across the globe. With human lights interfering, many get lost and starve. Light pollution is now considered a major factor in the decline of migratory birds.

Another problem is insects. They are drawn to light sources and often die upon impact with these. This has lead to irregularities in certain insect populations which in turn affects the entire food web. Blackbirds wake up and start their morning call up to five hours earlier in cities than in the countryside, because their natural 24 hour body clock relies on it getting dark at dusk and only getting light again at dawn. Marine ecosystems are also disturbed by underwater light pollution from ships and harbours. Even national parks aren't safe. Light pollution is present within most national parks.

Even humans are affected by light pollution. The fact that it never really gets dark for 80% of the world's population interrupts our circadian rhythm. This means that our melatonin production is affected. Melatonin is a hormone that is released when it gets dark and causes us to feel tired and eventually fall asleep. Irregular melatonin production can lead to sleep deprivation and fatigue. This then leads to headaches and increased stress and anxiety. There are also correlations between lower melatonin levels and cancer because our immune systems are severely weakened by a lack of sleep. The blue light from screens and LEDs is particularly bad.

We hope you found this week's post interesting. Here's the link to the vote for next year's monthly series. See you next week!

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230920111200.htm
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/
https://www.britannica.com/science/light-pollution
https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/types-of-pollution/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/light-pollution.html

Images:
City Lights Pano, owned by Keith Burton (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
City Lights, Auckland, New Zealand, owned by Sue (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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