About Light Pollution
Light pollution is a kind of pollution, and it is considered a bad or adverse effect due to man-made lights. Commonly, it means too much light. The worst thing is light pollution badly affects many species including humans and plants. The majority of people haven’t ever heard of light pollution, and so, they ask this natural question, “What is light pollution?” A few people don’t bother about this kind of pollution. Light pollution does cost Americans lots of dollars each.
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To put it in descriptive words, light pollution is referred to as a poorly implemented light, and it becomes an issue all through various levels of society. Light pollution does impact an individual level and even a community level, too, such as novice urban development. Light pollution is a phenomenon that is referred to only as a particular source of pollution, and the history of light pollution dates back to the 20th century.
Light pollution examples are billboards, street lights, or buildings and houses that keep all their lights on an entire night without pulling or closing the drapes or blinds.
Light Pollution Effects
Though countless people dismiss its bad effects, light pollution effects turn out to be serious:
Effects on individuals – When there is too much light or the wrong type of light, then it leaves a negative health effect. Again, it also decreases people’s quality of life. Human beings who live on earth do possess a specific circadian rhythm that remains programmed in their DNA, and it needs a systematic pattern of light both during the day and during the night, and when these circadian rhythms become disrupted, then it leaves a negative effect on health. It results in cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, depression, and cancer too.
Effects on animals – Lights do repel or attract insects and animals, and many regions get the effects of light pollution. Animals that live in these regions might react sensitively to the alterations that happen in their natural surroundings. In this circumstance, they migrate to other places having lower light pollution.
Effect on our ecosystem and the Earth – The ecosystem of the Earth depends on the cycles of natural light. As these ecosystems happen to be pretty sensitive to alterations in their surroundings, they fail to adapt to novice artificial conditions that are formed from man-made light pollution. Light pollution disrupts decay cycles on which our air, water, and food supply depend.
Insomnia – Commonly, people love to sleep in dark surroundings, and every person needs to have a proper sleep for his mental and physical health. Numerous people become uncomfortable when they confront distractions from light while they sleep. If the environment changes into a brighter condition, then people might suffer from some severe sleeping issues, and it might affect their health negatively.
Effects on traffic – When there is too much light, then it leaves a negative effect on traffic. It can cause temporary blindness too. It can turn out to be dangerous while driving. If the sight of the driver is impacted adversely, then it can result in accidents. Light pollution also augments the danger to individuals as it does interfere with some critical navigation systems meant for planes, trains, and automobiles too.
What are the Sources of Light Pollution?
Floodlights that are utilised for illuminating game pitches, buildings, and places of entertainment.
Security lights help in lighting up buildings as well as their surroundings.
Display and advertising lighting.
Street lighting.
Causes of Light Pollution
Too much utilisation of light – One major cause of light pollution is too much utilisation of electric light. This results in electricity over-consumption. During the nighttime, the utilisation of electricity does cause serious light pollution, and it does affect neighbours negatively.
Overpopulation – It is another huge source of light pollution. A higher density of pollution implies an augmented utilisation of lights and electronic devices, and it results in a higher level of light pollution.
Planning of infrastructure – A decent planning of infrastructure is important for limiting the adverse impacts of light pollution. For instance, when people get street lights placed too close to their homes, then they get impacted by light pollution adversely.
Conclusion
Light pollution is acknowledged as the poor or excessive utilisation of artificial outdoor light. This hugely disturbs the natural processes of wildlife. Light pollution also contributes to the augmentation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere besides disrupting human sleep. It also obscures the night sky.
FAQs on Light Pollution
1. What are the types of light pollution?
Over-illumination – Over-illumination is caused when lights are misused. When lights are left on, then it can result in the wastage of millions of oil barrels. It also augments utility costs.
Glare – This is a 2-fold problem where lights get reflected off, and due to this, light causes some vision problems.
Light clutter – This is an artificial issue and does stem from inadequate placement design. Streetlights do form a contrast illumination, and it does interfere with illumination and night vision.
Skyglow – Skyglow does affect the natural patterns of growth besides the capability of planes to navigate.
2. What can people do about light pollution?
You must turn off the lights when you don’t need them. For instance, if you have got a security light, then you need not turn it on constantly. You can include an infrared detector which will put on the light if you require it. Another effective method of lessening light pollution is by ensuring that only that light is illuminating, which is supposed to be. You can cover the lamp with a shade. Low-pressure sodium, high-pressure sodium light bulbs, and fluorescent light bulbs are the finest light bulbs that can lessen light pollution as they emit in only one wavelength.
3. How can we measure light pollution?
Measuring light pollution happens to be a complex process as the natural atmosphere isn’t entirely dark because of scattered light and airglow. Scientists, for getting an ideal measurement, utilise satellite images of our Earth. They also use them for intensifying the sources of light, calculating the sky brightness, etc. Professional and amateur astronomers utilise a Sky Quality Meter, which is a handheld device, and its job is measuring sky brightness besides documenting and comparing various areas. Another effective method of gauging light pollution is the use of the Bortle Scale, which is a 9-level rating system. It measures the quality of the sky by proposing observable standards.
