By Ella Stone
Light pollution is an issue that began to rise rapidly around the 1970s when astronomers noticed that it was affecting their work. Now, the sky is predicted to become between 3 and 6 percent brighter each year.
Light pollution disrupts the natural patterns of wildlife, and contributes to the increase of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. This artificial light is causing birds to go off course, because it distracts them from the moon and star light that they use to migrate and hunt. The National Wildlife Federation says, “light will cause bats to abandon their roosts and starve to death as they wait for darkness that never comes.”
Exposure to light at night also suppresses melatonin—which makes you tired)—and a lack of melatonin disrupts your sleep. Loss of sleep has been known to play a role in increasing stress, anxiety, and other health problems. Recent studies have also shown a connection between reduced melatonin levels and cancer.
The Bay Area has some of the worst light pollution in California, and recently people have been introducing the idea of changing freeway lights to blue LED’s. These LED lights will help to keep commuters awake during their drive, but will affect them negatively when it comes to going to sleep that night. These lights will also continue to harm bats.
Red lights not only have no disruption to the bats’ natural patterns, but they are also said to give you a better night’s sleep. With short-wavelength blueish white lights being the main cause of light pollution, red lighting could rewild the night skies.
Light pollution is fixable if we all make an effort to keep the night sky dark. Aim your lights away from the sky and opt for longer-wavelength, redder bulbs.
beniciapaw.com 