SCHOOL BASED ASSIGNMENT

Name: Javier Royal

Form: 5TH
Subject: English Language
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Plan of Investigation

Artifact 1

Artifact 2

Artifact 3

Reflection 1

Reflection 2

Reflection 3

Plan of oral investigation

Oral Investigation

Group Written Report

Written Report: Artifact 1

Artifact 2

Artifact 3
TITLE PAGE
Group Theme: Light Pollution

Sub Theme: What are the Causes and Effects of Light Pollution?

ACKNOWLEGDEMENT
In preparation of the researcher assignment, he had the help and guidance of
people who deserve his deepest gratitude. He would like to show his gratitude to
his teacher, Ms. Elliot, for giving him good advice for the SBA through numerous
consultations. He would also like to expand his gratitude to all those who have
helped directly and indirectly guided him in writing this assignment. Lastly,
researcher would also like to thank God for being with him throughout the SBA
and for guiding him strength to undertake this research.

INTRODUCTION
Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in otherwise dark conditions.  The
term is most commonly used in relation to in the outdoor environment, but is also
used to refer to artificial light indoors. Throughout the course of the research paper,
you will be educated on light pollution and by the end of this project you will be
fully aware of the causes and effects of light pollution.

PLAN OF INVESTATION
The researcher's SBA will be on the theme "Light Pollution," with an investigation
into the topic “What are the Causes and Effects of Light Pollution." The genres of
my artifacts are an article, a video and a poster. The researcher is interested in this
subject because he recognizes that light pollution is a problem that many people
are unaware of, and he wants to raise awareness about it. To research this topic, he
intends to search the internet for his artifacts. This SBA can help improve his use
of persuasive devices which he intent to employ doing his oral presentation.

Artifacts 1
Artifact 2
Ever since the invention of artificial light bulb artificial lights have played

a significant role in human civilization culture and development it illuminates

our home our streets and skies but with an unintended consequence light

pollution, light pollution is one of the less talked type of pollution light

pollution is the over illumination of cities and skies at night by artificial

lights. it is caused when the artificial light source emits lights outside of an

intended direction there are different type of light pollution they are light

trespass, over illumination, glare and light clutter. light pollution seems harmless

but it can create harmful impact especially for wildlife some birds like

bats rely on darkness for hunting their prey

and it disturb almost all nocturnal animal life circle. light pollution

have a bad effect on humans by disturbing sleeps and thus leading to

serious health problems like cancer. wastage of light means wastage of

electricity resulting in more carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. if

you are living in a light polluted area, the sky glow created by light pollution

will seal your right to enjoy stars and darkness. unlike any other type of

pollution light pollution can be stopped in a moment by turning off all lights

but it is impractical. These pollutions can be reduced by using more efficient

lighting and better directional lighting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyBMAL3uPkg

Artifact 3
The current push for environmental awareness and living has never been greater
than where it is now. Your investment in the earth is becoming increasingly
necessary as threats of all kinds affect the world. Light pollution is one of those
threats.

Light pollution is a growing problem that affects any location with a significant
amount of artificial lighting. It occurs when artificial, or man-made, lighting
brightens the sky, especially at night. This can then negatively impact, people,
animals, and the environment.

Photo by Pixabay.

If you’re hearing this term more often lately, you’re not alone. It’s important to
read up on the causes and effects of light pollution and how to prevent it. 

Contents  show 

Causes 
Since light pollution comes from light, there are many sources that can give off this
pollution. Over-illumination, light placement and glares most commonly contribute
to the light pollution in the sky. 

Too many light sources that stay on for extended periods of time have a significant
impact on light pollution. With all the sources that constantly give off light, the
pollution adds up until there is a visible glow in the sky. This wastes energy, too. 

Light placement is another factor that contributes to pollution. In places like cities,
lights are close together and will give off more amounts of light into the
sky. Glares, too, affect light pollution. Any light that reflects off surfaces causes a
glare and can reflect into the sky as well. Clouds and hazy weather also tend to
reflect light–so, the two factors combined to create more light pollution. 

The sources from light pollution can come from anything that emits light. From
cars to skyscrapers to streetlights, any light can contribute. Since the demand for
vehicles is increasing, the number of headlights will increase and, as a result, light
pollution will as well. This perpetually adds to the problem.

But what are the problems, exactly? 

Effects

The effects of light pollution reach humans, animals, and the environment. 

The first issue that affects humans and the environment alike is energy
consumption. With more lights, comes more needs for energy. Production for that
energy commonly uses fossil fuels and non-renewable sources. This costs people
money and pollutes the environment. 

With ecosystems, animals have shown changed behaviors and migration patterns
due to excessive light. Birds change their flight and migration paths in favor of city
lights. Baby turtles use the horizon to guide them towards the ocean once they
hatch. Recently, though, they are turning away from the ocean and heading
towards the lights.

This could lead to more and more species, endangered or invasive, coming to
heavily lit areas. It could also drive away some species, like frogs, that use lighting
to mate or hibernate. 
With people, constant light can cause health problems like headaches or anxiety. It
can disrupt sleep as some forms of artificial light interrupt circadian rhythms and
can damage eyesight. Light pollution may also affect seasonal affective disorder
(SAD), which causes people to become depressed during a decrease in natural
lighting. If artificial light becomes more prominent, SAD cases may increase. 

Last, light pollution affects visibility. You will not be able to see the sky and the
stars with all the pollution in the way. But luckily, there are ways to combat this
disruption.

Solutions

One of the easiest ways to prevent light pollution is to turn off the lights. You can
keep them on only as long as you need and turn them off when you’re done. This is
a small change that adds up. 

Another switch you can make is buying LED lights. These last longer than
standard lights and are more deliberate with their illumination. This can apply to
companies and the city in general, too. Things like LED traffic signals could save
cities 80-90% on traffic light energy costs as well as reduce light pollution.

With more LED lights, individuals and cities can cut down on the amount of
lighting there is, which would reduce pollution further. 

City officials and workers should also be more deliberate with their
implementation of lighting. It should face down and have shields to direct the light
efficiently. 

With better planning and use, people can also turn to natural lighting more. This
would decrease the number of artificial lights needed and rely on architecture to
work with the sun. 

Last, spreading awareness is the foundation of bringing about a change. With more
education, you can help make a difference and decrease light pollution altogether.

https://www.earthava.com/light-pollution-causes-effects-prevention/
Reflection 1
Before conducting this SBA, the researcher knows very little about the harmful
effects that light pollution has on people and the environment. In an article
entitled’ What Is Light Pollution? Causes, Effects, and Prevention’, by Kayla
Matthews, the author states the causes of light pollution and the effect they have on
the environment and energy consumption. Secondly, in a YouTube video titled’
Light Pollution -The Overuse & Misuse of Artificial Light at Night’, by Ruby
Labs, the focus of this video is that the unnecessary and misuse of proper lighting
is the main cause of light pollution. Finally, a poster posted on the internet, the
illustrator conveys the fact that light pollution wastes a lot of energy and
responsible for the increase in global emission of carbon dioxide. I have leant form
the YouTube video that the solutions to light pollution are using energy efficient
bulbs and proper directional lighting.

Reflection 2
An article entitled’ What Is Light Pollution? Causes, Effects, and Prevention’, the
author utilizes cause and effect relationships. An of this is ‘Too many light sources
that remain on for a long time have a significant impact on light pollution. This is
useful because it helps the reader to pinpoint the roots of light pollution. A poster
posted on the internet; the illustrator showcases statical evidence through
visualization. An example of this is’ Bad outdoor lighting wastes 0.5 kilowatt-
hour(kWh)of energy per house, per night’. This helps the reader to visualize how
much energy is lost due to light pollution. A YouTube video titled’ Light Pollution
-The Overuse & Misuse of Artificial Light at Night’, the youtuber uses examples
throughout the video. An example of this is ‘Wastage of light means wastage of
electricity resulting in more carbon emission in the atmosphere. ‘This helps to
show the consequences of light pollution.

Reflection 3
I believe that the process of doing this research has helped me become a better
language student as it has helped me analyse various language techniques and
devices used by various writers to get their point across. This project helped me to
understand what a person goes through and how this can drastically affect their
lives. It has also given me personal growth because before I was not aware of the
effects of light pollution but now, I know that many individual’s health has been
affected immensely by it. I understand now the impact light pollution has on the
environment and energy consumption and that reduction of light pollution is
necessary as it reduces the use of non-renewable resources.

Plan of oral presentation

Genre: My oral presentation will be presented in the form of a Speech

Title: Light Pollution

Justification of Genre: The reason I chose this specific genre because of its ability
to capture the audience's attention while conveying a clear message, the researcher
believed that a speech would be the best way to communicate his message.

Source of inspiration: Due there is a lack of public awareness about light pollution,
the researcher was inspired to write this speech. The researcher hopes to use this
platform to adequately educate the public about light pollution's causes and effects.

Language Technique: Cause and effect relationship, persuasive and literary devices
were all language techniques used in the speech to carry across its message.

Oral presentation
In today’s disrupted environment, light pollution has become a serious threat
particularly to nocturnal wildlife, i.e., animals living in the dark. Light pollution
has many negative impacts on plant and animal physiology.

It can bewilder the translocating patterns of animals, change fierce interactions of

animals, alter predator-prey relations, and cause harms physiologically. The
rhythm of life is arranged by the natural non-nocturnal patterns of light and dark.
So, disruption to these patterns affects the ecological dynamics.

You will be surprised to know that with more than half of the world’s population
now living in cities, 3 out of every four people in cities have never experienced the
astonishing thing of natural dark skies.

Concerning bad health effects, many species, especially humans, depend on natural
body cycles which are known as circadian rhythms. They are dependent on the
production of melatonin, which is regulated by light and dark also. If humans are
exposed to light while sleeping, production of melatonin can be put down.

This less production of melatonin can lead to various sleep disorders and other
health-related problems such as increased headaches, worker fatigue, medically
defined stress, different forms of obesity due to lack of sufficient amount of sleep
and increased anxiety.

And there are risks of a couple of types of cancer. There are also bad effects of
flame on ageing eyes. Health effects are not caused by only over-illumination or
excessive exposure of light over time, but also the inappropriate insubstantial
composition of light. This composition of light is certain colors of light.

If we talk about the wastage of energy, we must know that lighting is blameworthy
for at least one-fourth of all electricity consumption around the world. Over
illumination can comprise energy wastage, especially in an upward direction of
lighting at night. Wastage of energy is also a waste in cost and carbon footprint.

The good news is that light pollution can be reduced quite easily by protecting
lights properly. We should only use a light when and where it is needed. By only
using the required amount, by using energy-efficient bulbs, and by using bulbs
with appropriate spectral power distributions for the task at hand, we can easily
reduce light pollution.
Speaking with my clinical knowledge, the three main types of light pollution
include glare, light trespass and skyglow. Glare from unprotected lighting is a
threat to the health of human beings, especially the older you become. Glare light
breaking up in the eye can cause loss of contrast, and it can blind you temporarily.
This glare leads to unsafe driving conditions, for instance.

Light trespass is caused when unwanted light enters one’s property. For example,
we can say, shining unwanted light into a bedroom window of a person who is
trying to sleep is light trespass.

Skyglow is defined as the glow effect that can be seen over populated areas.
Skyglow is the combined form of all the reflected light and upward-directed light
escaping up into the sky. If we shield lights, then it can significantly reduce all
three of these types of light pollution.

WRITTEN REPORT
The theme that was chosen by the three group members to expound on was ‘Light Pollution.’

The individual topics were ‘Light Pollution on Human Survival, ‘What are the Effects of Light

Pollution on the Environment’ and ‘What are the Causes and Effects of Light Pollution.

It was difficult to gather enough artifacts which accurately represented our theme due to the lack

of information available on our individual topics; however, our group was able to gather nine

artifacts in all and the three that best captivated our theme was selected. These artifacts were

chosen as they accurately portray and convey information on Light pollution and the problems

associated with it. There was a selection process that involved group meetings, brainstorming

and discussions in selecting the three final pieces. The three artifacts chosen were, firstly an

article entitled ‘Light Pollution Effects on Wildlife and Ecosystem by International Dark-Sky

Association’. The article shows the negative effects of light pollution on wildlife and

ecosystems. Secondly, a video entitled ‘Light pollution is more dangerous than you think’ posted

by Seeker, highlights the effect light pollution has on the ecosystem particularly with baby sea

turtles. Finally, a poster created by International Dark-Sky Association illustrates the impact of

light pollution on energy consumption and how this affects the average household. The poster

even went so far as to state that wasting electricity causes more carbon dioxide to be released

into the atmosphere. From the three artifacts we have learnt that light pollution is dangerous to

not only humans but also to wildlife and ecosystems in a way that it disrupts some animals’

nocturnal patterns.

In writing our report, we met regularly online after school hours on a weekly basis. This helped

us to accurately assess our SBA growth, allowing us to meet our deadlines on time.

Written Report: Artifact 1

Artifact 2
Light Pollution Effects on Wildlife and Ecosystems

“When we add light to the environment, that has the potential to disrupt habitat,

just like running a bulldozer over the landscape can.”

— Chad Moore, formerly of the National Park Service

For billions of years, all life has relied on Earth’s predictable rhythm of day and

night. It’s encoded in the DNA of all plants and animals. Humans have radically

disrupted this cycle by lighting up the night.

Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to

govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and

protection from predators.

Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly

effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects and

plants.

Artificial Lights Disrupt the World’s Ecosystems

Nocturnal animals sleep during the day and are active at night. Light pollution

radically alters their nighttime environment by turning night into day.

According to research scientist Christopher Kyba, for nocturnal animals, “the

introduction of artificial light probably represents the most drastic change human

beings have made to their environment.”

“Predators use light to hunt, and prey species use darkness as cover,” Kyba

explains “Near cities, cloudy skies are now hundreds, or even thousands of times

brighter than they were 200 years ago. We are only beginning to learn what a

drastic effect this has had on nocturnal ecology.”

Glare from artificial lights can also impact wetland habitats that are home to

amphibians such as frogs and toads, whose nighttime croaking is part of the

breeding ritual. Artificial lights disrupt this nocturnal activity, interfering with

reproduction and reducing populations.

Artificial Lights Can Lead Baby Sea turtles to their Demise

Sea turtles live in the ocean but hatch at night on the beach. Hatchlings find the sea

by detecting the bright horizon over the ocean. Artificial lights draw them away

from the ocean. In Florida alone, millions of hatchlings die this way every year.

Artificial Lights have Devastating Effects on Many Bird Species

Photo by Michael Menefee

Birds that migrate or hunt at night navigate by moonlight and starlight. Artificial

light can cause them to wander off course and toward the dangerous nighttime

landscapes of cities. Every year millions of birds die colliding with needlessly

illuminated buildings and towers. Migratory birds depend on cues from properly

timed seasonal schedules. Artificial lights can cause them to migrate too early or

too late and miss ideal climate conditions for nesting, foraging and other behaviors.

Ecosystems: Everything is Connected

Many insects are drawn to light, but artificial lights can create a fatal attraction.

Declining insect populations negatively impact all species that rely on insects for

food or pollination. Some predators exploit this attraction to their advantage,

affecting food webs in unanticipated ways.

Artifact 3

So, what if I can’t see the Milky Way at night, it’s just a little light pollution

right?

Hey there stars, Sapna here for DNews.

According to the Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness about 83% of humans on

Earth

are exposed to night skies that are at least 10% brighter than natural levels, or what

the Atlas defines as “light pollution”.

When I say pollution, you probably think of smog or oil spills or some other

substance

we put into the environment that really mucks up the place.

By comparison then, calling an overabundance of light “pollution” may sound a bit

overdramatic.

What effect can leave the light on all night really have on the environment?

As it turns out our love of light can mess with both flora and fauna more than you

might
think.

Earth’s ecosystems have spent billions of years adapting to a day-night cycle, but

the

invention of artificial light and subsequent vanquishing of the darkness is throwing

some

organisms outta their groove in very profound ways.

Take for instance baby sea turtles.

Those little guys hatch on the beach and it’s imperative they get to the water before

some

predator snatches them up.

When they’re born at night, they find water by putting the dark and elevated

silhouette

of land behind them.

But lights from houses or roads along the beach can disorient them, making them

crawl in the wrong direction until dawn when they’re easy pickin’s.

That’s if they even get hatched in the first place: momma turtles that have been

returning to the same beach for decades may be discouraged by the brightly lit
shore and look for another nesting site, or they could get disoriented themselves

and wander into traffic.

Light pollution can affect some creatures in the water also.

animals called zooplankton hang out at lower depths during the day and rise

up to feed on algae each night.

If the night sky is too bright, they don’t rise up as high or in as great of numbers,

so they don’t eat as much algae, which can in turn, contribute to an algal bloom.

Coastal light can also hurt some coral species in the great barrier reef, which rely

on phases

of the moon to sync their release of sperm and eggs into the water.

If the moon’s phases are masked, then they might not spawn at the right time and

that

means less new coral.

Light pollution isn’t great news for some land creatures either.

Birds that migrate at night are known to crash into brightly lit towers or

skyscrapers, or

circle them until they die of exhaustion.

Amphibians like salamanders that forage after dusk will wait longer to come out

since the

night sky is more brightly lit and they don’t get as much food. and get this..

Some frog and toad males will not ribbit if they’re well lit.. so then lady frogs

won’t

holler back and mate with them.

But if you don’t care about the frogs or the salamanders or the birds or the coral

or the baby turtles, well you’re heartless but you should still know that light

pollution

probably affects you too.

First off if you live in a big city like New York City like I do...we can all say

goodbye

to the stars, unless something knocks the power out like an earthquake did to Los

Angeles

in 1994.

Residents called Griffith Observatory asking why the night sky looked different

after the earthquake.

They were seeing the Milky Way for the first time.

If it’s bright enough to read a book outside at midnight, that’s a sign those bright

lights can keep you up by stopping you from producing melatonin.

Obviously, that can cause sleep disorders, but melatonin is also an antioxidant so

it’s possible that light is actually increasing your risk of cancer as well.

And of course, keeping those lights on requires energy, and if that energy comes

from a fossil fuel source, light pollution is causing good old-fashioned regular

pollution too.

By leaving the light on all night you are literally burning the midnight oil.

So, if you can help it, stop leaving the light on.

Light pollution can mess with your sleep, but what can regular pollution do to the

rest

of you?

Julia Covers that right here.

Have you noticed the effects of light pollution in your life?

Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for

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