I found this article really interesting, and light pollution wasn’t something I looked into before. I think this article did a great job describing all the aspects of light pollution ranging from its effects on humans to wildlife, despite the lack of solutions that it provided (it was really informative and made me think about solutions instead of just being presented with them). What I found most striking was the effects of light pollution on sea turtles. Never before have I noticed much lighting on beaches, but learned that it disrupts the turtles’ nesting patterns and even discourages them from laying their eggs on the beaches. Another point that was interesting and surprising was the great number of birds and their migratory patterns that are affected because of the city lights. From previous readings, I knew that birds were affected, but the statistics that this article provides are just shocking. “Each year in New York City alone, about 10,000 migratory birds are injured or killed crashing into skyscrapers and high-rise buildings…” 10,000 birds each year! And we’re only talking about one city! Thus, it’s not surprising that so many bird species are close to extinction.
The article then goes on to talk about light pollution and its effects on humans, and opens up with a rather negative statement that “exposure to light during the night can disrupt circadian and neuroendocrine physiology, thereby accelerating tumor growth.” How wonderful – accelerating tumor growth. I find that interesting because on one hand, an adult needs around 7-8 hours of sleep so if you go to bed around midnight (when it’s dark and you obviously use electricity), you’ll be well-rested by early morning. You also see many students pulling all-nighters, or even staying up late utilizing electricity. On the other hand, you have this statistic that says light exposure at night can accelerate tumor growth. Does that mean by sundown we should all go to bed (rhetorical question)?
Furthermore, there are jobs that require night shifts, or working long hours so light exposure during the night is inevitable. Although I am grateful that we have electricity, everything does come at a price. Additionally, I think some of the things that humans should consider is shortening night shifts for workers (not talking about the economic aspect of labor, but purely scientific) and cutting down work hours of certain jobs. Yes, people who work in these areas do know that they will be working during the night, but they should not have to be exposed to more light pollution that could potentially be hazardous to their health. Just as advances in our world create air pollution and water pollution adn people look for ways to find better technology to mitigate those effects, I think more research needs to be put in in finding a way to mitigate light pollution (and not just for people – wildlife as well).
