Turn the lights off, I'm not made of money!

The classic line from the grumpy dads of sitcoms may have been ahead of its time, for many more reasons that just a large electric bill. Light pollution is one of the pollutions that get very little attention compared to things like watter and air pollution that have much more immediate and dire consequences. However it can have many adverse affects on both lifestyle and physical and mental health for both humans and animals. In fact the International Dark Sky Association campaigns to combat light pollution through better technologies, reduction and ordinances.

There are many different forms of light pollution, some are merely annoying like light trespassing which is simply someone else's light coming into your space or property and being bothersome. Artificial lighting at night not only obscures views, it also impeded astrological observation for scientific purposes. Excessive lights at nighttime can cause health concerns damage vision, cause stress, increase blood pressure and it has even been suggested that the interruption of melatonin production caused by too much light at nighttime has been connected with an increased risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

There are also many adverse affects on animals. Nocturnal creatures are particularly affected, having mating, breeding, predator and prey relations and movements. It can affect migration of birds, damaging their vision. It also may prevent zooplankton from eating algae, contributing to algae blooms that harm other species and choke the ocean, robbing it of oxygen.

The over-use of artificial lights also has many affects economically and concerning the consumption of fossil fuels. It is estimated that America wasted billions of dollars and countless barrels of oil on electricity for lighting, which is responsible for about a quarter of all energy use worldwide. The Dark Sky association has many technologies to reduce light pollution and they can be as simple as timers to shut off lights when people are not around. There are also many ordinances and regulations controlling and reducing light pollution in many areas, and it is continuing to develop quickly. Humans must address all of the problems we create by insisting on changing the natural environment around us. The changes in light from day to night is essential to animals, as well as our own health, and the wonderful invention of the light bulb can also be turned off, saving on energy consumption and adverse health affects. So do as the grumpy dads ask, turn off those lights!!