“In every corner of the globe tonight, our nighttime sky shines brighter than it did less than 10 years ago with potentially serious consequences to humans, animals and ecosystem.”
“Light pollution has always been a problem for astronomers, and it is increasingly affecting the health and well-being of humans and animals alike by disrupting their circadian rhythm.” Image Credit: stockxchange.com
Nearly every single species on the planet possess an internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. The dictionary defines the circadian rhythm as “a daily rhythmic activity cycle, based on 24-hour intervals, that is exhibited by many organisms.” Research examining disruptions in the circadian rhythm have lead researchers to assert that the main culprit, light pollution, causes serious behavioral, physiological and biochemical imbalances. Here are a few of those studies briefly annotated:
* “Light pollution started to be identified in the 1800s when we realized that birds flew into the sides of lighthouses and consequently died” – Travis Longcore, science director of the Urban Wildlands Group, research associate professor at the USC geography department and a lecturer at the UCLA Institute of the Environment in Los Angeles.
* “Twenty years later, it was discovered that artificial coastal lighting in Florida was disorienting and disrupting the rhythm of sea turtles that bury their eggs in the sand.”
* “Light pollution has had disastrous effects on migrating birds resulting in millions dying each year, and that figure increases with the combination of outdoor light and fog.”
* “Women who work at night, change shifts often or don’t get proper sleep at night suppress their melatonin production and have higher rates of breast cancer” – Dr. Mario Motta, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society and associate at the North Shore Cardiovascular Associates.
* “Adults between the ages of 40 to 50 start to notice glare more, when the lens of the human eye begins to harden and calcify. Cataracts may develop, which can exacerbate the glare, and require surgery to remove.”
Light pollution is a glaring (no pun intended) problem; it continues to grow each year. Considering all the environmental problems in the world, it’s a shame that light pollution seems to go unnoticed, even though medical and scientific research suggests the contrary. The real punch to the gut lies in the fact that it is entirely 100% reversible!
