hook for light pollution essay

Light Pollution

People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.

Conservation, Earth Science, Astronomy

Hong Kong Light Pollution

Boats, buildings, street lights, and even fireworks contribute to the light pollution in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. Light pollution can be detrimental to the health of people and animals in the area.

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

Most environmental pollution on Earth comes from humans and their inventions. Take, for example, the automobile or that miraculous human-made material, plastic . Today, automobile emissions are a major source of air pollution contributing to climate change, and plastics fill our ocean, creating a significant health hazard to marine animals.

And what about the electric lightbulb, thought to be one of the greatest human inventions of all time? Electric light can be a beautiful thing, guiding us home when the sun goes down, keeping us safe and making our homes cozy and bright. However, like carbon dioxide emissions and plastic , too much of a good thing has started to negatively impact the environment. Light pollution , the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects.

That Earthly Sky Glow

Light pollution is a global issue. This became glaringly obvious when the World Atlas of Night Sky Brightness , a computer-generated map based on thousands of satellite photos, was published in 2016. Available online for viewing, the atlas shows how and where our globe is lit up at night. Vast areas of North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are glowing with light, while only the most remote regions on Earth (Siberia, the Sahara, and the Amazon) are in total darkness. Some of the most light-polluted countries in the world are Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait.

Sky glow is the brightening of the night sky, mostly over urban areas, due to the electric lights of cars, streetlamps, offices, factories, outdoor advertising, and buildings, turning night into day for people who work and play long after sunset.

People living in cities with high levels of sky glow have a hard time seeing more than a handful of stars at night. Astronomers are particularly concerned with sky glow pollution as it reduces their ability to view celestial objects.

More than 80 percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live under sky glow. It sounds pretty, but sky glow caused by anthropogenic activities is one of the most pervasive forms of light pollution .

Is it Time to Get Up?

Artificial light can wreak havoc on natural body rhythms in both humans and animals. Nocturnal light interrupts sleep and confuses the circadian rhythm—the internal, twenty-four-hour clock that guides day and night activities and affects physiological processes in nearly all living organisms. One of these processes is the production of the hormone melatonin , which is released when it is dark and is inhibited when there is light present. An increased amount of light at night lowers melatonin production, which results in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety, and other health problems. Recent studies also show a connection between reduced melatonin levels and cancer. In fact, new scientific discoveries about the health effects of artificial light have convinced the American Medical Association (AMA) to support efforts to control light pollution and conduct research on the potential risks of exposure to light at night. Blue light, in particular, has been shown to reduce levels of melatonin in humans. Blue light is found in cell phones and other computer devices, as well as in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the kinds of bulbs that have become popular at home and in industrial and city lighting due to their low cost and energy efficiency.

Animals are Lost and Confused, Too

Studies show that light pollution is also impacting animal behaviors, such as migration patterns , wake-sleep habits, and habitat formation. Because of light pollution , sea turtles and birds guided by moonlight during migration get confused, lose their way, and often die. Large numbers of insects, a primary food source for birds and other animals, are drawn to artificial lights and are instantly killed upon contact with light sources. Birds are also affected by this, and many cities have adopted a “Lights Out” program to turn off building lights during bird migration.

A study of blackbirds ( Turdus merula)  in Germany found that traffic noise and artificial night lighting causes birds in the city to become active earlier than birds in natural areas—waking and singing as much as five hours sooner than their country cousins. Even animals living under the sea may be affected by underwater artificial lighting. One study looked at how marine animals responded to brightly lit panels submerged under water off the coast of Wales. Fewer filter feeding animals, such as the sea squirt and sea bristle, made their homes near the lighted panels. This could mean that the light from oil rigs, passing ships, and harbors is altering marine ecosystems .

Even in places meant to provide protected natural habitats for wildlife, light pollution is making an impact. The National Park Service (NPS) has made maintaining a dark night sky a priority. The NPS Night Skies Team has been monitoring night sky brightness in some one hundred parks, and nearly every park showed at least some light pollution.

You Shouldn’t Need Sunglasses at Night

There are three other kinds of light pollution: glare, clutter, and light trespass. Glare is excessive brightness that can cause visual discomfort (for example, when driving). Clutter is bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources (for example, Times Square in New York City, New York). Light trespass is when light extends into an area where it is not wanted or needed (like a streetlight illuminating a nearby bedroom window). Most outdoor lighting is poorly positioned, sending wasted electricity up into the sky.

Bring Back the Dark Sky

There are several organizations working to reduce light pollution. One of these is the U.S.-based International Dark Sky Association (IDA), formed in 1988 to preserve the natural night sky. IDA educates the public and certifies parks and other places that have worked to reduce their light emissions. In 2017, the IDA approved the first U.S. dark sky reserve. The massive Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, which clocks in at 3,667 square kilometers (1,416 square miles), joined eleven other dark sky reserves established around the world. As of December of 2018, IDA lists thirteen dark sky reserves on their site.

Stop Wasting Energy: Things We Can All Do

More people are taking action to reduce light pollution and bring back the natural night sky. Many states have adopted legislation to control outdoor lighting, and manufacturers have designed and produced high-efficiency light sources that save energy and reduce light pollution.

Individuals are urged to use outdoor lighting only when and where it is needed, to make sure outdoor lights are properly shielded and directing light down instead of up into the sky, and to close window blinds, shades, and curtains at night to keep light inside.

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Light Pollution Essay

1. introduction.

There is a growing interest in the relative impacts of human activities on the environment. One anthropogenic source of stress is the artificial light that accompanies the dynamic spark of urbanization and economic growth for both the developed and the developing world. Light pollution, broadly called "urban sky glow," occurs anywhere substantial urban lighting is directed skyward, or where street and security lighting erodes the night. Since the beginning of the millennium, we have entered a period of rapid light pollution expansion because the defining characteristic of street lighting has changed from sodium vapor to white light using LED technology. This paper reviews the environmental impacts of these changes and identifies the drawbacks of some proposed solutions. Specifically, trends in observed nocturnal light emissions are related to the use of different bulb types and before-and-after studies for several cities examine nocturnal brightness. New estimates suggest that the world is illuminating 2.2% more of the night-time environment each year (+2.2% yr-1), equivalent to approximately 5% per biennium. Accurate light pollution measurements are essential for astronomers, biologists, and ecologists struggling to quantify the knowledge of how light affects the natural night-time environment, and these estimates are worrisome. We recommend that regulations and design guidelines be established to minimize the inappropriateness of night lighting, thus supporting both successful lighting retrofitting and formal establishment of the conservation of the night-time environment.

1.1. Background and Definition

Light pollution is often understood to be artificial light that causes a nuisance. In contrast to global climate change, light pollution is a mainly local problem. It is linked to the current fast increase of the quality and quantity of outdoor lighting, which is associated with a reduction of the natural night and has marked environmental and health effects. Over the past 100 years, many cities have undergone changes in night brightness that have been similar to the growth of cities. These increases in brightness affect our planet by consuming valuable resources, as well as affecting the health of the flora and fauna. Therefore, the SIEP will show society the wonders of the fascinating nightly environment, the artificial changes in the sky provoked by inefficient and inadequately designed lighting, the problems caused by these changes for human health and biology, as well as the potential resources that could be saved by implementing energy-efficient lighting systems. Light pollution threatens different levels of biodiversity in both stellar-rich and impoverished areas. Proper outdoor lighting can help in the development of better communities. The man-made pollution of the natural nighttime environment started, as did many other catastrophes provoked by humans, with the advent of industrialization. At the time of the Roman Empire, many towns in the empire used street lanterns in the form of torches, but most urban dwelling peoples of the western Roman Empire did not use light at night inside their buildings. In the Middle Ages, most European and Middle Eastern people used vegetable oil lamps as a source of artificial light, and in all countries, and also in many regions of the empire, home oil lamps were used. But it was not until the 19th century that changes in technology allowed pleasant indoor lighting in many areas.

2. Causes of Light Pollution

One person's light can be another being's death sentence. While that may not be accurate in real terms, the phrase does indicate the damaging effects that light pollution can have on the world's fauna. Light pollution is the result of the severe misuse of artificial light, which is produced to illuminate the darkness and create a better environment for living beings. The excessive use of artificial light, and the careless, inappropriate, and inadequately studied placement of those light fixtures, results in such a problem. This insightful problem has grown in recent years, although people are still exploring its nature and harmful outcomes. Do artificial lights cause any harm in nature? Yes, and to animals and humans themselves. This paper will focus primarily on the severity of animal damage, trying to express the importance of the problem through the use of sickening statistics. Since then, the causes of light pollution will be described followed by a discussion of its effects on animals and how to mitigate these harmful impacts. 2. Causes of Light Pollution Artificial light is a modern achievement of high technical quality. Its misuse will create an excessive amount of lighting in our social environment. The resulting light pollution or skyglow can be observed by our eyes and recorded by electronic equipment. One of its most stunning effects is the disappearance of star constellations from the night skies of urban and densely populated areas. In addition, telescopic astronomy has become impossible in many places. This rapid process has been discovered scientifically only recently. Property developers spoil the night's smooth cycle with their "heavenly vaults" of street lighting. Airports are taking the only advantages of sound sleep away from those who live near flight paths. Industrial plants contribute to skyglow in excessively broad dimensions. The state of the art of street lighting is a further factor in skyglow generation. So-called "candlepower" must be increased to wade through heavy traffic or to differentiate the light of commercial areas at night from daylight.

2.1. Urbanization and Population Growth

The urbanization and growth of the human population around the world, including the spread of their activities and technologies, have led to the development of urban ecosystems associated with an intensive consumption system. This has imposed unprecedented pressure on the demand for resources and environmental quality. Large cities have unique economic and social dynamics compared to rural areas and small towns. They promote social aggregation, concentrate production and service provision, and offer jobs that improve living conditions. Cities create opportunities, stimulate innovation, and facilitate access to information and knowledge, which in turn drive economic growth and increase local income. Cities and urban areas continue to grow, prosper, and attract people. They concentrate industries, professional activities, services, production, consumption, and waste accumulation. They contribute to over half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), require about three-quarters of available energy, and are responsible for two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions. However, cities are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These impacts include increased temperature and precipitation, more intense and frequent weather events, effects on public and environmental health, infrastructure stability, changes in air and soil use, and the availability and quality of water.

2.2. Artificial Light Sources

An artificial source of light, as per the definition of a lighting designer, is a device that provides artificial illumination. Normally, artificial lighting sources have been divided into three broad categories: incandescent, luminescent, and electric discharge. That is the classification of lighting sources from another point. Depending upon the source and its application, a totally different classification and categorization also exists. For instance, the artificial lighting sources can be divided into two categories, that are sources and systems. A source is usually considered as a single, solid-state source where light is generated from providing electricity. An example would be an LED that emits light once electricity enters the solid semiconductor junction. A system usually implies an integration or luminary that consists of one or more than one sources. An example would be the luminaires that are overhead on the ceiling, which consist of several solid-state lighting sources. Chandeliers, pendants, sconces, and floor lamps, etc., are other examples of lighting that consist of several individual sources. These lighting optical systems offer protection, control, and often enhancement of the source. Most indoor-based luminaire fixtures are said to be using incandescent sources or incandescent lighting with diffusion technology.

3. Effects of Light Pollution

3.1. What are the impacts of light pollution? 3.2. Light pollution disrupts the life cycle of living creatures. 3.3. Light Pollution & Human Health. 3.4. Light Pollution & Economy. The excessive consumption of energy leads to resource reduction. However, one of these factors has not been widely studied and is a related aspect of our life quality that has impacts on the ecosystem and affects human health. Light pollution, which is denoted as the product of artificial light out of place, fine-tuned with modern civilization, brings some risks. Although some suggest that similar to other types, light pollution aggregates and is becoming an increasing risk for humans, flora, and fauna, thus drawing as much attention as other types of contamination is important. As our current living standards depend on appropriate indoor and outdoor lighting, it is difficult to abandon this concept at exact course. This study concentrated mainly on light pollution risks by analyzing them with the assistance of preventing techniques and solutions during the lighting design phase. While it has little technical details, it is an important guideline for all building designers, and particularly for lighting designers, to prevent light pollution in pre-design studies.

3.1. Ecological Impact

The impact of artificial light at night on nature is a topic of recent scientific interest, even in the public. It has been associated with problems of orientation and navigation, reproduction, hormonal regulation, foraging and predation, among others, affecting nearly all organisms. Several studies indicate effects resulting from light pollution on the reproductive behavior of birds and the onset of seasonal behaviors in birds and mammals. Chronically, these effects can lead to depletion of animal reserves, decreasing survival when animals cannot meet the energetic costs that are essential for tasks such as migration and reproduction. To establish some kind of connection with artificial lights and their corresponding effects, it is important to observe objectively, not only to recognize the interested biological effects associated with light pollution, but also the photobiological mechanisms that support them. Proper observations and data collection will stimulate new experimental research and, by all means, understanding the photobiological aspects in the context of light pollution can lead to an improvement in the design of less disruptive lighting. Artificial light at night has been increasing due to high energy consumption and human activity, leading to an unnecessary and excessive use of energy causing light pollution. On the other hand, the behaviors of all organisms are influenced by the cycle of environmental luminosity associated with the rotation of the Earth as a day-night system. Nowadays, the period of natural darkness is being invaded by artificial lights, which cause major disruption to the behavior and physiology of several species. At the global level, considering large landscapes, nighttime artificial light is always increasing, being a particularly worrying aspect. At the regional level, a LED lighting system already presents a direct effect on pollution, increasing the intensity emitted and the duration of exposure since its association with intense white light has a higher probability of masking the natural essence of the night, overcoming the ambient moonlight in any phase, for directions to distances.

3.2. Health Effects

An increasing number of studies indicate a link between exposure to artificial light at night and reduced human well-being, sleep disorders, obesity, and the incidence of some types of cancer. Many large cities, such as Berlin, Paris, and Chicago, belong to the so-called urban power lights, as they are illuminated at night as bright as the day. Some cities, especially those with strong light pollution sources, not only outshine many stars of the universe, but during the night also display those traditionally dominant celestial bodies, the sun and the moon. Their natural course is impaired or even completely altered. This threatens the survival of numerous biota, including humans, who evolved with a day structure determined by the periodic change between solar radiation and darkness. As virtually all organisms on Earth have evolved with the cycle of natural light and darkness, their physiological and behavioral processes are closely aligned with it. This means that any change in their natural light environment may result in disruptions of these natural processes. Most studies on the impact of artificial light on the physiological frequency of functional traits have been conducted in relatively small and large cities; still, little is known at other spatial scales, such as the regional or country level. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of artificial light at night on some functional traits of large mammals, based on tested relationships between artificial light at night and changes in the heart rates of wild grey herons.

4. Solutions to Light Pollution

In addition to identifying sources of light pollution and quantifying their radiance, canalization is necessary. We elaborate on canalization, which is grouped into several levels. (i) Agreements between countries: this could be an international convention fostering light pollution abatement, a coordination group within the United Nations, or simply inserting considerations about light pollution in some already existent environmental prevention treatises. Here, an involvement of the International Astronomical Union would be useful. (ii) National legislation: laws (or stronger regulations in those countries that already have them) forbidding or, at least, canalizing light emissions could be issued. There can be differences in organization and in the level of centralized power of different countries. However, this canalization is necessary not only at the international level but also concerning the relationships among the different kinds of citizens (mean population versus local administrators, public administrators versus industrialists, astronomy organizations versus local or other forms of tourism operators). By canalization, we intend a different regulation of the sources of diffused light emissions: they should all be reduced and at locations where they are produced. Moreover, the collectivity (i.e., a village, a town, or any political organization) should be stimulated to start using intelligent illumination diffuse light (not just directed). The problems of local differences could be in the replacement of the apparently extreme option 'light nothing', a measure that presents social problems in application. Anyway, any town/planning realization must consider some canalization, as canalization becomes a part of the landscape of our town and interferes with its character and aestheticness.

4.1. Regulations and Policies

Several organizations and regulatory bodies have enacted guidelines which are designed to reduce the levels of artificial light produced by the built environment. For instance, municipalities often establish regulations within various zoning areas, including commercial, industrial, and residential areas. Such regulations can include mandates for full-cutoff fixtures, curfew hours, and reduced lighting levels. Some local, state, or federal regulations also limit the amount of signage, traffic signals, and streetlights. There are also Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations with respect to commercial outdoor lighting within aeronautical zones. Additionally, there are several types of federal, state, and local regulations that are designed to reduce misleading visual cues for disruptive or hazardous weather events, uncertain traffic, unusual road conditions, or security threats. There are also various voluntary guidelines, regulations, and provisions enacted by both government and non-governmental entities that aim to reduce light pollution. These organizations and regulations include the EPA's Green Lights Program, the Federal Energy Management Program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's State and Local Technical Assistance Program and Market Assistance Program, the Illuminating Engineering Society, the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. General Services Administration. Other educational, environmental, or lighting economic organizations such as Dark-Sky International, the International Dark-Sky Association, the International Association for Energy-Efficient Lighting, the Energy-Efficient Lighting Association, and organizations associated with the Earth Council serve as information clearinghouses regarding light pollution or issues related to the built environment. These entities provide technical advice, suggest best practices, develop educational materials and publications, and provide news and other related information for the reduction of light pollution.

4.2. Technological Innovations

With more and more industries gracing the heavens and using airspace to advertise, there is a dire need for technological innovation, such as the promises of micromirror technology or individual pixel manipulation. Indeed, mirrors and retina-controlled equipment could be used to create virtual billboards in space for those who can afford to rent and install them, without affecting the overall brightness of the heavens at night nor contaminating scientific data. We believe that like radio signals and their organized distribution, no individuals should be able to pollute the dark sky at their own selfish wishes, such as for a once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Improved instrumentation is being developed to solve problems in the affected scientific areas, such as the extinction problem in astronomy where opacity maps are calculated from meteorological records and fitted to the observed images. Better equipment is direly needed in civilian and military sectors to provide direct visual information about the battlespace, i.e. the surrounding area where hostilities are occurring or impacted people and infrastructure are located, which will facilitate the reception of precision attacks, control of air traffic, and casualty handling in transition to peace. In military scenarios, no soldier wants to forget to put on the Night Vision Goggles in the heat of the battle; similarly, as humans adapt to the novel bright environment and fail to recover their natural dark sensation, Night Vision Street Glasses are being developed for military and security personnel.

5. Conclusion

Given the integral role of the night in our lives, it is necessary to develop more holistic lighting plans that satisfy outdoor lighting requirements without impacting the functioning of nature. This includes preserving biodiversity, the beauty of the night skies, specific wildlife behavior, people's wellbeing at night, and minimizing economic effects and energy usage. The first step in doing this is to realize that outdoor lighting is just not about visibility. The next critical step is to incorporate these priorities into plans and decision processes. Involving all stakeholders is critical. Education, experience, and motivation can be the key to effective lighting. Establishing an astrolighting conservation movement, including legal protection with enforcement, can also be beneficial. Recognizing the strong recommendations from different disciplines, both for controlling light pollution and promoting the quality of the night at both individual and community levels, it is remarkable that so little progress has been made in directly reducing the impacts of outdoor lighting over the last decade. Possible reasons include that the many suggestions have not yet been adequately communicated to decision-makers, and that the multifaceted character of the subject of light pollution has not been adequately developed beyond very large, and in reality quite diverse units of interest (people and wildlife). Means of realizing the substantial economic and energy savings possible have been less than rigorously and publicly tested. Ultimately, larger-scale interactions between the efforts of international organizations such as the IDA, the ISTIL, and the EuroPAWS are required. In the interim, these sites' valuable guidelines and related links should be used as a starting point for controlling light pollution.

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10 Example-Hooks for the Introduction to Climate Change College Essay

An essay is only as strong as its hook. If you can’t grab your reader’s attention right within the first few sentences, you won’t have it throughout the rest of the essay, either. Don’t bore your reader! Instead, use a captivating hook to ensnare them from the first few words.

A hook can be something that is intriguing, hilarious, or even shocking. The goal of a hook is to create a powerful emotional connection with the reader. As the writer, you have a few options. You might consider beginning with a series of questions, a challenging statement, a little-known fact, a quotation, or some fascinating background information. For an essay containing an introduction to climate change, consider a few of the following hooks.

Start with a Quote

Find out a famous person who has touched the discussed issue. Make your audience mull over his/her words as well as provide their own thoughts.

• Start with a quote : “Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.”-Bill Nye
• Start with a quote : “Humanity faces many threats, but none is greater than climate change. In damaging our climate, we are becoming the architects of our own destruction. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the money (to solve the crisis).”-Prince Charles, U.K.
• Start with a quote : “Global warming isn’t a prediction. It is happening.”- James Hansen

Start with a Fact

Provide some interesting information about the particular issue you disclose. This will make your listeners and readers involved in the problem. Make sure the fact is on point and fresh that no one knows about.

• Start with a fact : “The planet’s average surface temperature has risen by two degrees Fahrenheit since the 1900s. This change is unrivaled by any others in recorded–or estimated–history.”
• Start with a fact : “2016 was the warmest year on record, with eight months setting record temperature highs around the globe.”

Start with a Question

Make your audience discuss the issue. This will help you not only make them interested in the problem but also present their own thoughts that might be also quite catchy to discuss.

• Start with a question : “What have you done lately to help prevent global warming?”
• Start with a question : “Think about how the weather has changed since you were a child. Has the weather gradually turned warmer? Colder? Perhaps you notice more snowfall or hotter summer temperatures. These are all caused directly by climate change and global warming.”
• Start with a question : “How does climate change affect you personally?”

Shock Your Audience

Tell something that will shock your audience. It will make them interested. But again, this has to be a real shock, not something that everyone is talking about for the last three years.

• Start with a shock : “Global sea levels have risen eight inches over the last century. In the last two decades alone, the rate of rise has nearly doubled. This is a direct cause of melting ice caps and increased global temperatures. If this rise continues, entire countries, such as Bangladesh, could be underwater.”
• Start with a shock : “If everyone in the world lives as Americans do, it would take five Earths to produce enough resources. Just five countries, including the United States, contribute to more than 50 percent of the world’s harmful CO2 emissions.”

What do all of these hooks have in common? They tell you just enough information to get you interested but want to learn more at the same time. It is often difficult to write a stellar hook until you have already–or nearly–finished writing your essay. After all, you often don’t know the direction your paper is going to take until it is completed. Many strong writers wait to write the hook last, as this helps guide the direction of the introduction. Consider drafting a few sample hooks and then choose the best. The best essay will be the one that involves revision and updating–keep trying new hooks until you find the perfect, most intriguing, hook of them all.

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Essay on Light Pollution

Students are often asked to write an essay on Light Pollution in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Light Pollution

What is light pollution.

Light pollution is the excessive or misdirected artificial light produced by humans. It happens when outdoor lights are left on at night, causing a brightening of the night sky. These lights interfere with natural darkness, and have a harmful effect on our environment.

Types of Light Pollution

There are four main types of light pollution. They are glare, light trespass, over-illumination, and sky glow. Glare is excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort. Light trespass occurs when unwanted or intrusive light enters one’s property. Over-illumination is the excessive use of light. Sky glow is the bright halo over urban areas at night.

Effects on Humans and Wildlife

Light pollution affects both humans and wildlife. For humans, it can cause problems like sleep disorders and stress. For animals, especially nocturnal ones, it can disrupt their feeding and breeding patterns. Birds can become confused during migration and sea turtles can lose their way while trying to reach the sea.

Ways to Reduce Light Pollution

We can reduce light pollution by using outdoor lights only when needed, choosing lower-intensity lights, and using lights that are fully shielded. This means the light is directed downwards, not upwards into the sky. Public awareness and government regulations can also help in reducing light pollution.

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250 Words Essay on Light Pollution

Light pollution is the brightening of the night sky caused by street lights and other man-made sources. It is a type of pollution that is often overlooked. It not only affects our ability to see stars in the sky, but also has negative effects on our environment and our health.

There are four main types of light pollution. Skyglow is the bright halo that can be seen over urban areas at night. Glare is excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort. Light trespass is unwanted or intrusive light. Lastly, clutter is bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources.

Effects on Wildlife

Light pollution can have harmful effects on many creatures including birds, insects, and sea turtles. It can disrupt their feeding and breeding patterns. For example, bright lights can confuse birds that migrate at night and lead them off course.

Effects on Humans

For humans, light pollution can cause problems like sleep disorders and stress. It can also lead to reduced visibility at night and energy waste.

How to Reduce Light Pollution

In conclusion, light pollution is a serious issue that needs more attention. By understanding what it is and how it affects us, we can take steps to reduce it and protect our environment.

500 Words Essay on Light Pollution

Light pollution is the excessive or misdirected artificial light produced by human activities. It happens when outdoor lights are left on overnight or point upwards into the sky. This artificial light can be seen in the form of a bright glow over cities and towns, obscuring the stars in the night sky.

Light pollution has a significant impact on wildlife and ecosystems. Many animals, like birds and turtles, rely on natural light patterns for migration, hunting, and reproduction. When artificial light disrupts these patterns, it can confuse animals and put their survival at risk.

Impact on Human Health

Artificial light can also affect human health. It can interfere with our sleep patterns, causing problems like insomnia. The human body needs periods of darkness to produce a hormone called melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. When artificial light interferes with this process, it can lead to health issues.

Effects on Astronomy

There are several ways we can reduce light pollution. We can start by using outdoor lights only when necessary. If we need to use them, we should make sure the lights are not too bright and are directed downwards, not upwards into the sky. We can also use light fixtures that shield the light and prevent it from spreading widely. Lastly, we can use timers or motion sensors on outdoor lights to ensure they are only on when needed.

In conclusion, light pollution is a serious problem that affects both wildlife and humans. It not only disrupts natural ecosystems but also interferes with our ability to observe the night sky. By making small changes in our lighting habits, we can help reduce light pollution and protect our environment. It’s important for us to understand this issue and take steps to address it, for the sake of our health, our planet, and our future understanding of the universe.

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Light Pollution - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Light pollution refers to the excessive or misdirected use of artificial light, which results in unwanted or unnecessary illumination. This can cause a range of negative effects, such as disrupting natural rhythms in plants and animals, obscuring views of stars and other celestial bodies, and wasting energy. Light pollution can also be a nuisance for people, as it can interfere with sleep, create glare, and make it difficult to see at night.

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• The Future of Light Pollution

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What is light pollution?

What is light pollution what is light pollution.

Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those ocurring naturally. It has harmful effects on:

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Light pollution is a problem, but there’s no single country, group, or industry to blame. Instead, it’s a result of the whole world’s ever-expanding reliance on outdoor electrical lights for over 200 years. Fortunately, there’s a growing awareness that the ways we stave off the dark can actually have detrimental effects too.

Let’s look at where light pollution comes from:

When people first went to space, it became dramatically evident how much humans were altering the night sky: Cities are easily viewable from the International Space Station (ISS) at night. Decades on, astronauts on the ISS have observed the light pollution growing as cities sprawl ever larger .

Cities account for most light pollution since they have the most unshielded, improperly colored lights, sending light upward into the sky rather than downward for human safety.

Learn more: City lights from space Learn more: NPS Night Sky Initiative part of emotional video by Astronaut Jeff Williams

Outdoor lights

From unshielded pathway lights and streetlights to illuminated signs, most light at night is wasted, spilling up into the air instead of down at the ground where it’s needed for safety and wayfinding.

Learn more: The Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting Learn more: City’s LED retrofit shows need for careful lighting choices

Streetlights

While streetlights can be retrofitted to be dark sky friendly, most cities and towns haven’t accomplished this yet.

Learn more: 5 popular myths about LED streetlights Learn more: Experiment uses smart city lighting to measure streetlight emissions

Electronic advertising

Electronic billboards, also known as electronic messaging centers (EMCs) can be up to ten times brighter at night than traditionally lit billboards. LEDs from EMCs cannot be shielded, so light is flooded into the night sky.

Light from EMCs can cause glare and be a dangerous distraction to drivers. In some cases, EMC light can be visible from long distances and may affect the breeding, foraging, and orientation behaviors of nocturnal wildlife.

Position statement: Our position on electronic billboards Learn more: Guidance on how to properly implement an EMC

Parking lots

Keeping empty parking lots lit all night without timers causes light to be reflected upward into the sky, not to mention wasting energy. Car dealerships, shopping malls, and industrial lots are too often overlit and wasteful.

Learn more: Dark sky friendly outdoor lighting for policy makers

Sports lighting

While nighttime sports offer plenty of valuable benefits to humans, poorly designed lighting at outdoor sports centers, fields, and stadiums causes increased light pollution in parts of town that are often adjacent to open space and parks — habitat for our non-human neighbors.

However, recreational sports lighting can be configured and designed to be effectively shielded to illuminate the field of play and minimize or eliminate glare and light trespass.

Position statement: Our position on sports lighting Learn more: DarkSky‘s Outdoor Sports Lighting program

Greenhouses

Residents in North America and Europe increasingly report strange glows in the night sky. Lighted greenhouses in densely populated areas are creating conditions of light trespass. Bright glows in unusual colors over greenhouses are sometimes considered a nuisance by neighbors.

Governments largely have yet to confront the situation, in part because it’s not clear how to regulate the light that greenhouses produce. With few regulations in place and a friendly business climate in many areas, operators are choosing increasingly to light all or most of the night with few, if any, legal consequences.

Learn more: What does lettuce have to do with my night sky? Learn more: A land of perpetual false dawn

Factories and industrial

Warehouse distribution hubs, gas and oil production, and more.

Learn more: Good and bad outdoor lighting

Houses and apartments

Learn more: 15 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted each year on residential outdoor lighting

Landscaping and mood lighting

We love our Instagram-worthy backyards lit with party lights, landscape lights, and such, but when no one’s there to use it, the energy is wasted and it contributes to light pollution in our neighborhoods. Outdoor lights should always be on a timer, sensor, or just plain shut off when not in use.

Learn more: The Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting

Rural places

Cities and suburbs may be the biggest contributors to light pollution, but rural places aren’t off the hook. Overlighting can happen anywhere that unshielded light fixtures cause glare, light trespass, and upward scattered light.

Oil and gas production

Photo credit: NOAA, Tim Wallace.

Massive oil and gas development projects are often located far from populated areas, but that doesn’t reduce their negative effects on wildlife. Artificial light at night throws birds off  their migration paths. Some have been known to fruitlessly circle bright natural-gas flares,  unable to navigate away  from the light and as a result lose close to half of their body weight in one night.

The satellite composite image above shows light pollution from oil and gas flares in the western United States (2015 composite data).

Learn more: Blinded by the light pollution ·  The Revelator

Astronomers have expressed unease in recent years about the growing number of objects orbiting the planet, particularly large fleets of communications satellites known informally as “mega-constellations.”

Research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters , finds that objects orbiting Earth elevate the brightness of the night sky by at least 10 percent over natural light levels, exceeding a threshold that astronomers set over 40 years ago for considering a location “light polluted.”

Position statement: Our position on satellite megaconstellations Learn more: Satellite megaconstellations

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• International Astronomical Union - Light Pollution
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light pollution , unwanted or excessive artificial light . Like noise pollution , light pollution is a form of waste energy that can cause adverse effects and degrade environmental quality. Moreover, because light (transmitted as electromagnetic waves ) is typically generated by electricity , which itself is usually generated by the combustion of fossil fuels , it can be said that there is a connection between light pollution and air pollution (from fossil-fueled power plant emissions). Control of light pollution therefore will help to conserve fuel (and money ) and reduce air pollution as well as mitigate the more immediate problems caused by excessive light. Although light pollution may not appear to be as harmful to public health and welfare as pollution of water resources or the atmosphere, it is an environmental quality issue of no small significance.

( Read Britannica’s essay “Is Light Pollution Really Pollution?” )

The quantity of light pollution from a given area depends on the number and brightness of light sources on the ground, the fraction of light that escapes above the horizontal, the reflectivity of surfaces near the light sources (e.g., roads, pavements , walls , windows ), and the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Empirical formulas allow the calculation of skyglow as a function of population and distance from the observer. When skyglow levels are more than 10 percent above the natural background levels, significant sky degradation has begun. Even lights from a fairly small town with a population of only 3,000 people can cause significant night sky degradation for an observer as far as 10 km (6 miles) away.

Light pollution adversely affects professional and amateur astronomers, as well as casual observers of the night sky, because it severely reduces the visibility of stars and other celestial objects. The reduction in night sky visibility is a result of “ skyglow,” upward-directed light emanating from poorly designed or directed lamps and security floodlights. This wasted light is scattered and reflected by solid or liquid particles in the atmosphere and then returned to the eyes of people on the ground, obliterating their view of the night sky. The effect of skyglow from a town or city is not necessarily localized; it can be observed far from the main source.

Light pollution is a problem not only for astronomers and people who simply want to enjoy the beauty of a starry night. Glare from road lamps, commercial security lights and signs, or even from a neighbor’s bright and misdirected yard lighting can cause discomfort and distraction and adversely affect the quality of life of many people.

Light pollution has adverse impacts on birds and other animals . Many migratory birds, for example, fly by night, when light from the stars and Moon helps them navigate. These birds are disoriented by the glare of artificial light as they fly over urban and suburban areas. It has been estimated by the American Bird Conservatory that more than four million migratory birds perish each year in the United States by colliding with brightly illuminated towers and buildings. Light pollution is considered to be one of the contributing factors in the dramatic decline of certain migratory songbird populations over the past several decades.

Sea turtles are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of light pollution. Although the females of such species as loggerhead sea turtles typically return to the beach on which they were born, bright lights can deter gravid females, forcing them to seek a less familiar or less suitable alternative . Hatchlings emerging from their nests can become disoriented by artificial lighting and, instead of heading toward the ocean, head inland, where they frequently die from exhaustion, dehydration, predation by other animals, or being hit by vehicles. A considerable challenge to sea turtle conservation , light pollution is estimated to be responsible for many tens of thousands of hatchling deaths each year in the United States alone.

Experiments have demonstrated that street lighting reduces moth caterpillar abundance, when compared with unlighted areas, and is linked to slowed caterpillar development . In addition, studies have shown that these disruptions were more evident when streetlights were outfitted with LEDs (light-emitting diodes ) than yellow sodium-vapor lamps. The declines in firefly populations have also been linked to light pollution, which likely interferes with the insects’ bioluminescent mating signals.

Light pollution can be reduced by using well-designed light fixtures with modern optical controls to direct the light downward and also by using the minimum amount of wattage for the area to be illuminated. Residents can reduce light pollution by closing their curtains or blinds at night and by minimizing the use of outdoor lighting.

National and local government agencies can help by passing and enforcing appropriate light-control laws and ordinances. In 2002 the Czech Republic became the first country to enact a law to address light pollution: all outdoor fixtures were required to have a shield to prevent light from extending above the horizontal. In the United States and elsewhere, many coastal municipalities have regulations to reduce light pollution near beaches to preserve the nesting habitats of sea turtles.