Implications of light pollution: the adverse effects of artificial light

Public lighting is one of the largest sources of greenhouse emissions

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2627884/

Flora and Fauna: • The growing pattern of trees have been disrupted and less adjusted to seasonal changes in weather and light. • Causes a light distraction to birds I flight leading to more fatal bird crashes into sky scrapers and buildings, or migrate/mate too early • Feeding behavior of bats altered by artificial light* • Circadian rhythm disruptions that regulate human sleep cycles • Disrupt plant growth • Night sky Migrating birds use constellations to guide their journey now crash into illuminated buildings • Sea turtles mistake the glow of electric lights for the shimmer of the ocean • Astronomers need clear dark skies, light pollution washes out the view of the cosmos • Wastes money and fossil fuels

• Astronomers • Nocturnal Wildlife • Human Circadian rhythm and sleep patterns • Growth Patterns of Plants and Trees • Wastes money and fossil fuels


http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol-environ.html


Participation

http://darksky.org

Review Lighting ordinance for you Educate local officials about light pollution and buying light efficient city lights

http://darksky.org/lighting/lighting-basics/

The International Dark-sky Association encourages light users to take precautions against outdoor light pollution by:

• Using outdoors light only when needed • Confine light to specific areas • Beware that lights are only as bright as it is necessary • Reducing the amount of blue light emissions used • Use lighting that faces downward, in order to avoid over illumination- called fully shielded fixtures


http://darksky.org/resources/losing-the-dark/ Light trespass is the kind of light that spills out across the boundaries of the area in means to illuminate.