Light pollution includes excessive use of lights that can obscure the stars, affect human health, waste energy, and disrupt plant and animal behavior. It is more common in cities and can cause health issues like high blood pressure and decreased libido. Efforts to reduce light pollution include using fluorescent bulbs and turning off lights when not in use. Light pollution also affects plant and animal behavior and is considered a nuisance. Reducing light pollution is important for the health of humans, plants, and animals.
Light pollution encompasses many different types of excessive use of lights. It may refer to the way lights in a city obscure the view of the stars, the effects of too much light in a business or home environment, pollution caused by energy use from lighting, or the negative effects of too much human light about ecology. With so many possible definitions, it can be difficult to determine what is meant by light pollution, without specific reference to examples.
Light pollution when it refers to the darkening of the night sky is more common in highly populated areas, such as cities. The degree of light pollution is influenced not only by the many illuminated apartments, but also by car headlights, billboards and building lighting. City dwellers are often amazed when they camp or vacation in areas where there isn’t much outdoor lighting. They see more stars than they would in an urban setting because the area is less polluted. Such a view can be a revelation to many who are accustomed to a much higher degree of illumination during the night hours.
Workers have also been studied to see how they handle the effects of working in overly lit environments. Studies have linked workplace light pollution to higher blood pressure, anxiety tendencies, headaches, and decreased libido. Some studies have suggested that light pollution may be a causal factor in the production of breast cancer, especially among people who work at night. Melatonin, which is a breast cancer-fighting chemical made by the body, is produced at night. Light pollution during the night can suppress melatonin production.
When light pollution refers to energy use, it generally means that more energy is used to keep the lights on than is needed, and often uses up valuable resources too quickly. Efforts have been made to reduce the light pollution of this fad by producing fluorescent bulbs. Electric companies also encourage people to use the minimum amount of light needed for work and to turn off the lights in rooms that are not being used. Even more work is needed in this area to reduce light pollution that creates energy consumption.
The negative effects of light pollution on plants and animals have been and continue to be studied. Some lights can change the way animals, especially nocturnal creatures, behave. More outdoor light pollution results in fewer “dark” hours for an animal to gather food, mate or perform necessary activities.
Outdoor lights can also affect plant behavior. Some deciduous trees, for example, fail to shed their leaves at the appropriate times when exposed to poor outdoor lighting. This can contribute to tree disease or just become a nuisance for people who have to clear leaves from a tree that is losing leaves constantly, instead of all in one batch.
Light pollution is also often considered a nuisance. For example, lights from someone else’s house can be seen in your house. This could affect your ability to sleep and is called light trespassing. People who live near flashing signs or streetlights that flood their rooms at night are also subject to lawbreaking. This can range from mildly irritating to extremely disturbing.
Scientists recognize that having light is a good and valuable thing, but especially in urban areas we have much more light than we actually need. Research has shown that light pollution has a detrimental effect not only on plants and animals, but also on humans. Many are looking for ways to light new pathways that reduce light pollution.
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