Light Pollution

Light pollution, or artificial light at night, is the excessive or poor use of artificial outdoor light, and it disrupts the
natural patterns of wildlife, contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, disrupts human
sleep, and obscures the stars in the night sky.
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 the 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.

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 neighbour’s bright and
misdirected yard lighting can cause discomfort and distraction and adversely affect the quality of life of many
people. Light pollution also 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.

Experiments have demonstrated that street lighting also reduces moth caterpillar abundance, when compared with
unlighted areas, and is linked to slowed caterpillar development. In addition, studies have shown these disruptions
were more evident when streetlights were outfitted with LEDs (light-emitting diodes) than yellow sodium-vapour
lamps.

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 levels 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 will cause significant night sky degradation for an
observer as far as 10 km (6 miles) away.

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. National and local
government agencies can help by passing and enforcing appropriate light-control laws and ordinances.

Source of light pollution

Sources of light pollution may include:

Security lights that light up buildings and their surroundings.
Floodlights used to illuminate games pitches, places of entertainment and buildings.
Street lighting.
Advertising and display lighting.

Different Types and Sources of Light Pollution

There are many different types and sources of light pollution. Light pollution can mean visible light disruptions
from flooding of too much man-made light (as in the example of the city lights); it can also mean a lack of light –
again, city lights take away a form of natural illumination and replace it with an artificial means; and it can also
mean changes to light that cannot be seen.

The light that cannot be seen is found on the radio-wave spectrum. When people talk about light pollution, they
tend to mean one of five specific types:

1. Over-illumination 

This is caused by the misuse of lights. Lights that are left on, or even street lamps that aren’t adjusted for daylight
savings time, can cause millions of barrels of oil to be wasted. It can have the immediate effect of raising utility
costs in an area as well as disrupting natural sleep patterns.

2. Glare

Glare is a two-fold problem in which lights are reflected off surrounding surfaces so that the light scatters and
causes vision problems. It doesn’t interfere with night vision but makes it difficult to identify and place objects.

3. Light Clutter 

Light clutter is a uniquely man-made issue, and it stems from poor placement design. A cluster of business lights,
or streetlights, can create a contrast illumination that interferes with night vision and illumination.

It can also be strong enough to throw off the natural nocturnal systems of animals.

4. Skyglow

This is a term used to refer to the almost dome-like cover of light to city areas. The light that is escaping from
street lamps, signs, homes and businesses goes up to change the quality of light in the atmosphere, and it bounces
back down to the city from the atmosphere.

It can affect natural growth patterns and the ability of planes to navigate at night too.

5. Light Trespass

Not only is this a form of pollution, but it is also a crime in many areas. Light trespass refers to unwanted light
entering someone’s property. It could be light from a sign coming into a residential area or any similar
circumstances.

Causes of Light Pollution

Light pollution is unique as it is caused by man only. There is no comparable natural form of pollution like there is
with carbon dioxide. The main causes of light pollution are:

1. Poor Planning

The placement of signage and street lights is planned by engineers, and if they do not take into account the effect
placement has on the surrounding environment, they can create glare, light trespass and light clutter.

2. Irresponsible Use 

You may love Christmas lights, but leaving them on all night is a form of pollution, as is leaving a room with the
lights still on or setting the timers on streetlamps and not adjusting the timer for the season. Not actively choosing
to minimize energy waste is a huge source of light pollution.

3. Overpopulation

That is really a zoning issue. Too many businesses or too many residences, grouped in one area can cause light
pollution of many kinds.

4. Excessive Use of Light

One significant cause of light pollution is the excessive use of electric light. Electricity has become quite cheap
over time; therefore, people do not care too much about their electricity consumption.

This leads to an over-consumption of electricity and also in excessive use of light, especially at nighttime.
5. Smog and Clouds

Smog and clouds can reflect the light emitted by cities and thus make the surrounding environment look much
brighter, causing light pollution.

6. Lights From Cars and Other Motor Vehicles

Cars and other vehicles contribute to the problem of light pollution, especially at nighttime. The lights of vehicles
shine quite bright in areas without many other light sources.

Where people live near streets that have a high traffic density, the sleep of people may be adversely impacted by
the lights of cars.

7. Streetlamps, Light From Houses and Garage Lamps

Streetlamps that are built too near to houses may also cause light pollution and may affect people. Due to poor
street planning, this may impact people’s sleep in an adverse manner.

There can also be light pollution simply because the neighbor just leaves the lights in the house on even late at
night.

Garage lamps can be an additional source of light pollution, reaching nearby houses and affecting people when a
neighbor turns on the garage lamp at nighttime.

8. Nighttime-lighting

All kinds of nighttime-lighting can affect people in an adverse way, and therefore cause light pollution. A good
example would be the illuminated advertising spaces at nighttime that may cause light pollution to the surrounding
houses.

9. Downtown Areas

Since downtown areas with skyscrapers usually are quite illuminated, they emit an enormous amount of light.
Since many of the lights will stay on 24/7 for traffic but also for commercial purposes, they contribute to light
pollution in a significant way.

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/types-causes-and-effects-of-light-pollution.php

Effects of Light Pollution

While many people choose to dismiss light pollution as being the price of modern life, it has serious effects on
everything around it.

1. Effects on People 

The wrong kind of light, or too much light has been proven to have adverse health effects and decreases the quality
of life. Humans living on Earth possess a particular circadian rhythm programmed in their DNA, requiring a
regular pattern of light during the day and dark during the night.

When these natural circadian rhythms get disrupted, it can have an adverse impact on health and cause cancer,
cardiovascular disease, depression, and insomnia. 

2. Effects on Animals

Lights can attract or repel animals and insects. Most animal life functions on a diurnal or nocturnal system that is
thrown out of sync by light pollution. This can place entire species in danger.

The effect of light pollution falls severely on regions that had previously been untouched by humans. Animals in
these areas may react quite sensitively to the changes in their natural environment. They may move to other places
with lower light pollution, or unwanted species get attracted to human areas.
3. Effect on the Earth and Ecosystem

The Earth’s ecosystem is dependent on cycles of natural light. Since these ecosystems are usually quite sensitive to
changes in their environment, they may not be able to adapt to new artificial conditions developed from human-
made light pollution.

Skyglow alone can cause a loss in growth protection as the reflected light off the atmosphere will prevent the
natural UV rays from reaching the Earth. This disrupts growth and decay cycles that our food, air and water supply
is dependent on.

4. Sleeping Problems

People usually prefer sleeping in a dark environment, and sufficient sleep is vital for our physical and also for our
mental health. Many people are uncomfortable with distractions from light when they are sleeping.

When the environment is changed into a brighter state, people may suffer from sleeping issues that can result in
serious health conditions.

5. Effects on Traffic

Too much lighting or the wrong angle caused by light pollution may also have an adverse effect on traffic as it may
cause temporary blindness. This can be dangerous when it comes to driving a car. If the driver’s sight is adversely
impacted through excessive light clusters on certain streets, the probability of accidents may increase.

Light pollution even increases the danger to people as it can interfere with critical navigational systems for trains,
planes and even automobiles.

6. Air Pollution 

Light pollution also leads to air pollution affecting the atmosphere. Since for the illumination at night, huge
amounts of electricity are used, this leads to a high level of CO2 emissions and other harmful gases.

7. Waste of Resources

Excessive use of light means the use of many fossil fuels at an increasing level. For example, lights need
electricity, and in order to produce electricity, huge amounts of coal are used in industrial processes. This means
we are also indirectly contributing to the depletion of natural resources like coal.

Solutions to Light Pollution

There are two basic approaches to solving light pollution – planning and education. Planning means more
consideration of how areas are zoned and where lights are placed.

It also means changing the types of lights used within the home, signs and streetlamps to more efficient bulbs and
with a light output that is not so disruptive. The effective measures are:

1. Light Shields

Light shields prevent light from spreading to nearby areas and concentrate the light on certain spots. This helps to
sort out the problem of light pollution and its negative consequences for nearby houses and their inhabitants. 

2. Warm Lighting

Using warm lights instead of cold lights can also help to solve the problem of light pollution. While cold short-
wavelength light impairs night vision and contributes to light pollution, warm light is known to prevent them to a
certain degree.

3. Use Certified Lighting 

Another effective way is to use certified lighting that can reduce glare, sky glow and light spill to a great
degree. Certain certifications such as IDA guarantee a lesser impact of your lights on the environment, thereby
reducing the light pollution to a minimum.

4. Motion Sensors

Motion sensors are an amazing way to lower light pollution. In this case, the light is turned on only when the
motion sensor is triggered and hence it can help save a lot of energy.
Moreover, since the light only turns on in very few occasions, light pollution is reduced significantly. 

5. Cut off Light

Another solution is to cut off the light. Through light cutoffs, the angle in which the light is spread can be
determined. The nearby houses can be released from light pollution since the light is concentrated on certain spots
where it is needed without affecting the surrounding environment.

6. Turn off the Lights

The more people understand the importance of turning off lights as often as possible to conserve energy and reduce
light pollution, the faster change will be seen. It is one of the easiest and also one of the most effective ways to
prevent the adverse effects of light pollution.

Your neighbors and especially our whole environmental system will be benefitted at nighttime. Moreover, it can
save plenty of energy, which in turn means less air pollution. It also slows down the global warming issue.

7. Educate Others

Education is also critical to dealing with light pollution. Talking to your friends, convincing them, writing a blog
can influence many people. All this will make a great impact to mitigate the issue of light pollution and will also
tackle many other global problems we currently face.