Earthly Sky Glow
(Light Pollution: Introduction, Types, Causes, Effects, and Prevention)
“Environmental pollution is an incurable disease. It can only be prevented”– Barry Commoner.
Pollution involves introducing harmful materials, known as pollutants, into the environment. This pollution can cause damage to the quality of our environment, leading to degradation and environmental crises. Pollutants can result from human activities or natural disasters. In this article, we will discuss light pollution.
Light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye to see an object. Light shows interaction with matters that helped shape the structure of the universe.
Excess of everything is bad because, as we know, “too much greed is not good.” The excessive use of artificial light sources during the day and night causes pollution. It acts as a pollutant, causing light pollution that harms our environment.”
Light Pollution
The excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light can have detrimental effects on human health, wildlife behavior, and our ability to observe the environment. This is a global issue and is known as sky glow pollution. Artificial lighting can reduce the ability of astronomers to view celestial objects.
In most urban areas, light pollution is a problem due to people working and engaging in activities long after sunset. The sky becomes bright at night due to excessive electric lights from cars, street lamps, offices, factories, and outdoor advertisements. This excessive artificial lighting makes it difficult for people living in urban cities to see the stars at night.
Countries with high levels of light pollution include Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait.
According to the International Dark-Sky Association, 80 percent of the world’s population was affected by sky glow in 2016.
Furthermore, 63% of the world’s population, as well as 99% of the population of the European Union and the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), reside in areas where the night sky is brighter than the threshold for light-polluted status established by the International Astronomical Union. In simpler terms, the artificial sky brightness exceeds 10% of the natural Sky brightness above 45 degrees of elevation.
Types
Light Pollution can be categorized into four different forms-
1. Glare: This occurs when the light is too bright, causing visual discomfort.
2. Skyglow: This phenomenon happens when artificial lights from the surroundings make the night sky appear bright.
3. Light trespass: When a strong, glaring light directed at one area inadvertently spills over and illuminates undesired areas.
4. Clutter: When too many lights are clustered together or when the lights are arranged in a confusing or disorienting manner, it can cause dizziness or confusion when looking at them.
Causes
- · Light pollution comes from artificial illuminated sources.
- · Fireworks contribute to light pollution.
- · Streetlights, lightbulbs, neon signs, desk lamps, etc., all are powered by electrical energy that is transferred into light energy heat energy, and also radiates causing light pollution.
- · The unwanted extra light from artificial sources causes light pollution.
Effects of Light Pollution
· Artificial light can interrupt the sleeping process of all living organisms.
· Every year, an estimated 5–50 million birds tragically perish due to collisions with communication towers, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
· Melatonin is a hormone the pineal gland produces those are secreted at night and helps regulate the body’s biological clock. Light pollution can reduce melatonin production, leading to sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, headaches, fatigue, and other related health issues.
· It Shows the impact on animal behavior, such as migration patterns, wake-sleep habits, and habitat formation.
· Artificial lights can be very harmful to sea turtles and birds. This is because they rely on moonlight to guide their migration. When there is too much artificial light, they are unable to see the moonlight and can become disoriented. In severe cases, this can lead to their death.
· According to the Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting, light pollution also reduces the population of North American moths.
· Brighter light disrupts the behavior of birds.
· Each year in New York City, approximately 10,000 migratory birds are injured or killed when they collide with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, according to Glenn Phillips, executive director of the New York City Audubon Society.
· Women living in neighborhoods with enough outdoor artificial lighting to read a book outside at midnight had a 73% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those residing in areas with the least outdoor artificial lighting.
Prevention
- · Avoid unnecessary use of indoor lighting to prevent the leakage of inferior light into the night sky.
- · Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers are powerful tools for reducing average illumination levels and maximizing energy savings.
- · Blue lights at night should be avoided due to increased glare, affecting vision, especially in aging eyes.
- · LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) can help reduce energy usage and minimize light pollution, benefiting the environment.
References
1. Light Pollution -National Geographic Education
https://education.nationalgeographic.org
2. Light Pollution -Study.com
3. National Institutes of Health (NIH)(.gov)
Originally published at https://www.kiranjeetkaurbiotechnologist.com on July 23, 2024.
