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Light

Pollution

The Earth from de


International Space Station

The sky from the Earth

LIGHT POLLUTION

Excessive and inappropriate use of artificial light

A town during
the blackout

The same town


after
The Blackout

Stellarium simulation

CAUSES
Inadequate design of lamps and projectors.
Incorrect installation of lamps and spotlights, emitting light
far beyond its target or zone of influence, without any
useful effect.

CONSEQUENCES

Waste of energy
Waste of money
Air pollution
Impact on living beings
Obstacle to astronomical observations.

ECONOMIC AND ANVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

Abuse of natural resources;


Excessive consumption of fossil fuels;
Excessive power consumption;
More air pollution:
Increased energy costs.

LIGHT POLLUTION AND WILDLIFE


Animals and plants live
according to the 24-hour cycle
of our planet.
Humans can feel a change in
their circadian rhythm when
traveling by air between places
with different time zones. This
change is characterized by
drowsiness, lethargy, or a
general feeling that something
is not right.
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LIGHT POLLUTION AND WILDLIFE


The animals behaviors are also affected when exposed to too
much artificial light at night.
Behaviors affected by light pollution:
migration;
sleep;
food searching.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - MAMMALS

The bright lights of cities and towns harm mammals worldwide,


through the loss of his nocturnal ecosystem. Examples of affected
mammals are bats, raccoons, wolves, deer and elk. These species may
be subjected to:
decline in reproduction leading to population decline;
difficulty in finding food due to excessive brightness;
exposure to predators who would be otherwise unable to see them;
mortality increasement, caused by the weakening of eyesight.

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LIGHT POLLUTION- BIRDS

http://vimeo.com/54089280

Many species of birds migrate or hunt at night.

This dependence of darkness makes them extremely


vulnerable to bright lights in areas that are naturally dark.
The birds can be attracted to the light sources and stay
fixed in the light beam.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - BIRDS

Light pollution is a major threat to birds, especially seabirds by the time the juveniles
leave the nests.

The birds are attracted by the lights, get blinded and collide with buildings, power
lines and vehicles, that are increasing in coastal areas due to urban and industrial
development.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - BIRDS

Every year about 100 million birds in North America die in collisions with lighted buildings
and towers;

Not wanting to fly back to the darker areas, the birds continue to fly toward the spotlight
until they are exhausted, fall, or finded by a predator;

Artificial lights can still take migratory birds out of their route, not reaching its natural
destiny;

Seabirds collide with the headlights, wind turbines and floating platforms at sea.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - REPTILES


Reptiles are strongly affected by
light pollution.
Sea turtles like to build their
nests in remote and very dark
beaches.
Coastal lights interfere with their
ability to find safe nesting areas
for their eggs.

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LIGHT POLLUTION- REPTILES


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YToSKu2ECmc
The infant turtles drag themselves instinctively toward the
safety of the ocean due to the light caused by the reflection
of the moon and the stars in the water.
For centuries, this reflex was the brightest spot of light
from the beach

When the babies hatch, they are very vulnerable to all sorts
of predators and have to walk to the sea as soon as
possible.
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LIGHT POLLUTION- REPTILES


Artificial lights can confuse the
baby turtles and take them to crawl
away from the ocean into the
roads or communities.
If they dont find their way back to
the ocean, they get exhausted or
dehydrated and die.

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SOCIAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS

The light enters by the windows. It causes fatigue, insomnia and stress.

Harms public safety, since the powerful light can cause temporary blindness
for drivers of vehicles.

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PREVENTION

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LIGHT CORRECTION

http://www.need-less.org.uk/

Each lamp or the projector could reflect down light that would go up, illuminating more
with the same lamp.

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We could also illuminate the same area using a lower


wattage lamp
We can do even better, using more efficient reflector and
energy lamps, with even greater savings.

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WE WANT TO SEE
THE STARS!!!
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http://www.miguelclaro.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/MonsarazConvento-TheMoonMilkyWay-Label-net.jpg
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http://vimeo.com/24551969

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Y
http://www.slideshare.net/eufisica/palestra-sobre-poluio-luminosa-30356496#btnPrevious
http://dsr.nuclio.pt/
http://www.miguelclaro.com/wp /

http://www.terramater.pt/?pag=148
http://ambiente-legal.blogspot.com/2009/06/poluicao-luminosa_15.html
http://pascal.iseg.utl.pt/~ncrato/Expresso/PoluicaoLuminosa.pdf
http://ecosfera.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1388443
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLI15313320080819
http://www.portalsaofrancisco.com.br/alfa/meio-ambiente-poluicao-luminosa/poluicaoluminosa-4.php
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