TheBulbBusters

APEnvironmentalScience
Ms.Mordas
24May2016

BringingLightPollutionOutoftheDark

Carbondioxide,sulfurdioxide,nitrogenoxides,CFCs:thesearefourofEarthsmost
wellknownpollutants.Thesethreemajorsourcesofpollutionareknownmainlyforpolluting
theatmosphere,morespecificallyair,water,andsoil.Mostofusarefamiliarwiththesethree
typesofpollution,buttherearecountlessothertypes,oneofwhichveryfewpeopleknowabout,
andevenfewerhaveactedtoreduce.Thattypeofpollutionislightpollution,whichisdefinedas
theinappropriateorexcessiveuseofartificiallight.Itsfourmostcommoncharacteristicsare
glare,skyglow,lighttrespass,andclutter.Notalongtimeago,anyonecouldlookupatthesky
atnightandseethenumerousstarsandconstellations.Nowadays,however,duetooverlighting
inbigurbanandsuburbanareas,ourvisionoftheuniverseisimpaired.Thisisnottheonly
problem,thoughlightpollutionalsoaffectsthehealthofhumansandourenvironment.Light
pollutionisalittleknownsourceofpollutionwithmuchlargerhealthandenvironmentaleffects
thatmustbeopposed.
Theproblemoflightpollutionoriginatesinoneofthegreatesthumanmigrationsin
history:theIndustrialRevolution.Inthemid1800s,factoriesinlargecities,firstinthe
NortheasternUnitedStates,thenspreadingtotheMidwestandtheSouth,causedtherapid

urbanization,ormovingtowardcities,ofAmericaspopulation.Whilethiswaswellbefore
ThomasEdisonsdiscoveryofelectricityandcreationoflightbulbs,thepiecesthatwouldcreate
lightpollutionwerealreadyinmotion.Highconcentrationsofpopulationsinurbanareascreated
therootsfornotonlylightpollution,butalsohighlevelsofotheremissionsfromcities,suchas
carbondioxide.Moreover,withurbanizationbringinglargeramountsofpeopleclosetogether,
therebecameahigherneedforelectricitytosupportbuildingsthatwerebecomingincreasingly
tallerandelectricityneedy.By1909,however,darkskieswerealreadybecomingmoreandmore
rare.ForabriefperiodoftimeduringWorldWarII,citieswereblackedout,allowingthefirst
generationsvictimoflightpollutiontoseethedarknightsky.Afterthewarwasover,theworld
wasonceagainlitup,anddarkskiesceasedtoexistanywhereexceptmainlyruralareas.
Overlightinghasonlygottenworse.Fromthelate1950stothe1990salone,theamount
ofmeasuredexcesslightnearlytripledintheUnitedStates.WhileeffortsintheUnited
Kingdomhavebroughtlightpollutiondownalmost30%sincethe1980s,Americaslevelsof
excesslightremainhighduetothecommonpeopleslackofknowledgeofthesubject.That,
pairedwithourcountrysconsumerpersonalitytoalwayshavethebestandmostadvanced
electronicshascausedagradualyetalarmingriseovertimeinthesilentpollutantthatislight
pollution.
Asof2000,severalstateshadalreadyadoptedlegislationregulatinglightpollution,
includingTexas,Arizona,andConnecticut,andthatnumberisonlygrowing.Intheyear2016
alone,threestates,Arizona,Washington,andCaliforniahavealreadystrengthenedoverlighting
regulations.Atotalofthirteenstateshaveadoptedlightpollutionlaws,andseveralmorehave
pendinglegislation.TheselawsarebackedmoststronglybytheInternationalDarkSky

Association,orIDA,thedominantorganizationagainstlightpollution,withmostoftheirbasein
theUnitedStates.Throughtheirwork,theyaimtoreducelightpollutionasmuchaspossible.
Therearefivemaintypesoflightpollution:glare,skyglow,lightclutter,lighttrespass,
andoverilluminationoroverlighting.Theyallcontributesomewhatequallytotheproblemof
lightpollution.Lighttrespassispoorcontroloveroutdoorlight.Thiscanhaveavarietyof
meanings,fromuncoveredstreetlampsthatshineupwardtowardsthenightsky,tolightsthatare
toobrightandcrosspropertylines,enteringbuildingswhereexcesslightisnotwanted.Skyglow
ismainlyfoundinurbancenters.Itistheglowaroundcitiesthatcanmosteasilybeseenduring
theeveningandintheearlierhoursofthenight.Itiscausedbydustandwaterparticlestrapping
thehugeamountsofelectricityusedincities,andcreatingthisglowingshroudaroundthecity.
Lightclutterisalsocommonincitiesandbiggersuburbanareas.Theconcentrationofmillions
oflightsinarelativelysmallpersquarefootareacreateslightclutter,whichripsholesinthe
darknightskyandcanthrowofthedayandnightcyclesofnocturnalanimals.Glareisthe
phenomenonofbrightlightshiningoffofreflectivesurfaces.Humansexperienceglareandhave
aweakenedsenseofvisionduringthedarkhoursoftheday.Overlightingisthemostcommon
formoflightpollution,andiscausedbylights,oftenstreetlights,thatareleftonforfartoolong.
Thiscanwastemillionsofbarrelsofoil,aswellasaffectthebiologicalclockandsleepcycleof
humansandanimals.
Consequencesoflightpollutionarebothmanyanddangerous.Itsimpactonhuman
healthisespeciallylarge.Oneeffectartificiallighthasonourhealthisaffectingcircadian
rhythm,thesleepwakeschedulethatiscontrolledbyEarthsregulardayandnightpattern.In
responsetocircadianrhythm,ourbodyproducesmelatonin.Thischemicalregulatessleep

schedule,bloodpressure,sexualhormones,andotherbodilyfunctions.Becauseoflightpollution
atnight,however,nightshavebecomebrighter,causingbothhumanandanimalmelatonin
suppliestobedepleted.Artificiallightdisruptstheproductionofmelatonin.Exposuretocertain
typesoflightatnightcanalsobeharmful.LEDandCFLlightsproduceacoolerbluelight,
whichwhilecreatingamoreenergyefficientlightalsohasahighertendencytodisrupt
melatonincyclesandcreatesastrongerglare.
Thestrongesteffectlightpollutionhasontheenvironmentisonnocturnalspeciesand
ecosystems.Byturningnightintoday,mostlywithskyglowandclutter,lightpollutiondisrupts
thedaynightcyclesofnocturnalanimals.Thisissimilartoitsaffectonhumans,except
nocturnalanimalsrequireafunctionaldaynightcycletosurvive.Wearemakingnightsshorter
throughlightpollution,whichinturnchangesthehourstheyareawake.Itwouldbeinsaneto
expectthemtoadapttheircircadianrhythm,somethingtheyhaveevolvedintosincetheir
creation,becausehumanscannotturnoffthelightsatnight.Notonlynocturnalanimalsusethe
lighthowever,aspredatoryanimalssuchasbirdsusethecoverofdarknessascamouflageto
hunttheirprey.Manypredatoryanimals,bothnocturnalanddiurnal,useheightenedsensesto
huntatnight.Withlightpollution,theirelementofsurpriseisruined,andtheysuffer.Onthe
flipside,animalshuntedaspreyalsousethecoverofnighttohidefromtheirpredators.Without
thecoverofdarkness,theyareexposedandeasilyhunted.
Futureeffectsoflightpollutiondealmostlywithskyglowandtherapidlossofdarknight
sky.Onlyahundredyearsago,almostanyoneintheworldcouldlookupattheskyatnightand
seecountlessstarsscatteredacrossthedramaticbackdropofthevastexpanseofthemilkyway.
Now,peoplelivingincitiesmayonlybeabletoseeafewstarshereandthere,andsomein

megacitiessuchasNewYorkandTokyomightnotbeabletoseeanystarsatall.NASA
scientistshypothesizethattoday,nearlyeveryregionofthecontinentalUnitedStatesisaffected
bylightpollution.NASAalsopredictsthatif,inthenearfuture,lightpollutioncontinuesatits
increasinglyrapidpace,itwillreacheventhedarkestcornersoftheworld,anddarknightskies
willceasetoexist.Instead,theywillbereplacedbyapermanenthazeofskyglow,makingthe
wondersoftheuniverseinvisibleeventostrongviewingequipment.From1997untilthefuture
in2025,thereisamassivepredictedincreaseintheUnitedStatesalone.Ifeffortstoreducelight
pollutiondonotcontinuetogrowstronger,wecanexpectanearexponentialgrowthrate,much
likeatmosphericpollutiononcegrew.
Proposedactionstostoplightpollutionhavealreadybeenineffect.Organizationssuchas
IDAandtheDarkSkySocietyarealreadyworkinghardtoeducatethepublicandenact
legislationonlightpollution.Foralllightpollutionorganizations,however,thereisonecommon
goal:education.Inordertoevenscratchthesurfaceofeliminatinglightpollution,peoplemust
knowthatthereisevenaproblemwithleavingthelightsonatnight.Oncemoreandmore
peopleknowaboutlightpollution,weasacountrywillrealizeitismoreofanissuethan
somethingwecanjustignore.Protectingareasofthedarkskyisalsoamethodofraisingpublic
awarenesswhilealsoconservingthedark.TheIDAactivelyseeksareaswithlarge,clearareasof
nightskyandgoodviewsofthestarstoprotectthem.TheyareInternationalDarkSkyParks,
andareespeciallycommonintheSouthwesternUnitedStates.TheIDAalsohascreatedits
FixtureSealofApproval,whichcanbeseenonsafe,energyefficientappliancesapprovedbythe
IDA.TheIDAapprovesappliancesunderanumberofguidelinesandhelpseducate
manufacturersandtechnicianstocreatesuchitemsforpurchase.Anotherissuepertainingtolight

clutterislightspointedupwardstothesky,whichshouldonlybeshiningdownwards.Toprevent
thisexcesslight,alidcanbeputontopofthelamporlighttomakeitshinedown.Installing
motiondetectorsonoutsidelightsalsohelpswithlightpollution.Abigproblemisexteriorhouse
lightsthatareleftonatnightautomatically.Ifmotiondetectorsareinstalled,however,thelights
willonlycomeonwhensomeoneistherewhoneedsthelight.Finally,simplyturningoffthe
lightsatnightcanhaveadrasticimpactonlightpollution.Whileitmaynotseemso,shuttingoff
bothoutdoorandindoorlightsatnightcanhaveasignificantimpact.Ifpeopleareeducated
aboutthedangersoflightpollution,thenumbersofpeopleturningoffthelightswillrise.This
effortlesstaskcanhaveahugeeffect.
Therearesomewhoopposeregulationoflightpollution,however.Theargumenthas
beenmadethatkeepinglightsonlateatnightoffersextrasecurityforthefewpeoplewhoareout
oftheirhomesatthistime.Municipallights,suchasthestreetlightsleftonatHopkinsduringall
hoursofthenight,areleftonforthisreason.Thisisalogicalargument,howevertheproblem
canbeeasilyaddressedwithmotionsensorlights.Forthefewpeoplewhoareoutoftheirhomes
duringthemiddleofthenight,iftheywalkpastastreetlight,amotionsensorwillturnonthe
lightforasetamountoftimesotheycanseethewaybeforeturningoffagaintoconservelight
andfightunnecessaryartificiallight.Antiregulationgroupsalsoarguethattherewillbemore
trafficaccidentsduetofewerhighwayandstreetlights.Thisargumentisalsoinvalid,asmost
nighttimedriversalreadydependmostlyontheirownheadlightsandtheheadlightsofothercars
toseetheroadandtheothercarsaroundthem.Iftheamountofroadlightsdecreases,therewill
likelywillbelittletonoincreaseincaraccidents.

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