Turn off the light – it’s a hazard.
Despite being a relatively recent invention, light bulbs have already had a significant impact on modern society. They have infiltrated cities around the world in the form of streetlights, artificial indoor lighting, and neon signs. They get our attention, help us to see at night, and can be aesthetically pleasing. Nonetheless, they are invasive. And this infiltration has a name: light pollution.
Light pollution describes any form of electrical light that artificially brightens the sky. Although it is a lesser-known form of pollution, it can have a negative impact on life at all levels, from entire ecosystems to individual humans. To make matters worse, light pollution usually comes hand-in-hand with air pollution.
The living patterns of nocturnal or migratory organisms – especially birds – can be disrupted by unnatural light. Light pollution causes birds to develop earlier mating seasons and migratory flights. In addition, these birds also risk flying into brightly lit buildings. Insects and other nocturnal prey are vulnerable to over hunting by predators. Another example of environmental problems caused by light pollution can be seen in the case of the sea turtle. This endangered species is often drawn to hazardous areas by bright lighting, further reducing its rapidly diminishing numbers.
It is even harder to ignore an issue when it directly affects us. For astronomers, light pollution is very problematic. Excessive artificial lighting casts a haze over the night sky that obscures the stars and makes attempts to observe them very difficult. For non-stargazers, the disturbances in sleep patterns that light pollution can cause may have dangerous health implications. Scientists have even suggested that these disrupted sleep patterns are linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, other problems associated with disrupted sleep include increased levels of fatigue and stress.
Light is often equated with warmth and goodness, but upon stripping it of its positive symbolism, we are left with the literal value of artificial light: energy consumption. According to the 2008 Sector Sustainability Tables from the Government of Canada, 5% of energy consumption in the residential sector and 10% in the commercial sector are attributed to lighting. On an international level, artificial lighting constitutes 25% of global energy consumption. It is imperative that we begin to consider the amount of lighting actually needed. Most artificial lighting is not only a waste of energy and resources, but could potentially result in exacerbated air pollution from excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
How can light pollution be remedied? Society has deemed lights to be a necessity – for example, streetlights and car headlights are regarded as safety measures. It might not be reasonable to remove these elements completely, but reducing brightness is a possibility. For streetlights in particular, changes can be made to their design; “cut-off” designs not only reduce the amount of wasted energy, but also help prevent lights from obscuring the sky.
As individuals, we are surrounded by artificial lights on a daily basis, and while it is easy to forget that they are even there, doing this has major consequences. Light pollution affects humans and the environment alike, and our use of artificial lights merits serious reconsideration.
