![]() Corals, for example, don't reproduce as usual migratory birds can lose their sense of orientation' and newly hatched turtles have been found walking inland, where they die, instead of scuttling toward the sea. Other species also struggle to adapt to the use of artificial light at night. This is despite regulations that deem darkness influences accident or crime rates, an assumption contradicted by one study in England and Wales. So dimming or partially turning off street lights could be a first step in counteracting light pollution. Scientists estimate our planet is becoming 2% brighter every year. In areas that experience strong light pollution, that signal has been dramatically changed." Light pollution stops one out of three people around the world from seeing the Milky Way Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls "This is daytime, this is nighttime, this is the lunar month. Throughout evolution "there was a constant signal coming from the environment," he explains. The introduction of artificial light is "one of the most dramatic changes we've made to the biosphere," said Kyba. "When we don't get that hormone, when we don't produce that hormone because we're exposed to so much light in our apartment, or as a shift worker, then the whole working of this biological clock system becomes problematic," said Christopher Kyba, a scientist at the German Research Center for Geoscience.Ī 2020 study from the US shows that children and adolescents who live in areas with an abundance of artificial light get less sleep and suffer more often from emotional issues. ![]() These side-effects are related to a lack of melatonin, a hormone that is released when it gets dark. Studies have demonstrated the link between artificial light and eye injury, sleeplessness, obesity and, in some cases, depression. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Why we need darknessĪs well as benefiting the environment, sufficient darkness at night is good for human health. In Singapore, for example, nights have become so bright that people's eyes now struggle to adapt to real darkness. In Europe and the US, the figure is as high as 99%, meaning people no longer experience real darkness. Today, more than 80% of people worldwide live under light-polluted skies. That's equivalent to about half of the total emissions produced by India's air and sea traffic annually. In India, for example, excessive lighting emits 12 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to climate change expert Pavan Kumar of the Rhani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The bright lights of Tokyo, a city where few experience real darkness Image: Daniel Kalker/picture alliance The International Dark-Sky Association, a US-based non-profit, estimates that about one-third of all outdoor lighting burning at night has no benefit.Įven before the global energy crisis and higher prices, turning off this unnecessary lighting would save $3 billion (€2.9 billion) a year and also help reduce air pollution and harmful emissions that contribute to climate change. The city of Weimar in central Germany has been saving energy during the summer months by turning street lights on 30 minutes later in the evenings, and turning them off 30 minutes earlier.īut beyond saving power and money, darker cities have many positives both for the climate and biodiversity. Meanwhile, neon signs may only burn for a few hours a day. Since September 1, the Energy Saving Ordinance has also officially prohibited the illumination of public buildings from the outside. In the capital Berlin, 200 landmarks including the Victory Column and the Berlin Cathedral are to remain unlit when the sun goes down. The energy crisis has inspired cities across Germany to turn off night lights at landmarks, monuments and prominent buildings such as city halls, museums and libraries.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |