120 LIGHT + TECH
LIGHT POLLUTION FACTS
Many birds are known to navigate by the sky at night, and get confused by excessive lighting, leading to large numbers of bird deaths. Many insects need a dark environment to procreate, the most obvious example being fireflies, that cannot ‘see’ each other because of light pollution. Other beneficial insects are drawn to the blue-rich lighting, and circle under them until they become exhausted and die. Unshielded lighting on beach areas has led to a massive drop in turtle populations as the hatchlings are disoriented by electrical light and sky glow, preventing them from reaching the water safely. Even bridge lighting that is ‘too blue’ has been shown to inhibit upstream migration of certain fish species such as salmon returning to spawn. —
There is now voluminous data showing a higher risk of hormonally linked cancers with melatonin suppression, such as breast carcinoma (an increase risk of about 15%) and also prostate carcinoma. There are now also more than 20 large, peer- reviewed papers in the world literature, in addition to a host of smaller studies, all showing consistent and similar results. Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) has also been associated with sleep disturbances, depression, psychiatric disorders, obesity and an increased incidence of diabetes.
Dr Mario E Motta, trustee of the American Medical Association, ROLAN speaker
A recent study by Alejandro Sanchez Miguel estimated that light pollution has increased by between 49% and 270% over the past 25 years, and in some regions as much as 400%. — ‘With light pollution growing globally at an estimated rate of 2–6% per year, we may be the last generation to experience naturally dark skies near where we live and work.’
Ruskin Hartley, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), ROLAN speaker
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‘The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness shows that more than 80% of the world population – more than 99% of the US and European citizens – live under light-polluted skies. More than one-third of humanity cannot see the Milky Way.’
Fabio Falchi, professor of physics at Istituto Superiore Enrico Fermi in Mantua, and co-author of the First Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, ROLAN speaker
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