Light Pollution

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, pollution of all forms has increased exponentially. NASA astronaut Don Pettit discusses the shifting ways cultures view themselves: "There was a time when smokestacks showed how affluent your society was, but we look at these now almost with disdain. Light, or light pollution, will probably fall in this same category. Where now we equate the wealth of your society with how many lights you can burn at nighttime, ...in the future ...affluent societies... will still be producing all the necessary light they need for nighttime use but not so much light that it bleeds off into space and spoils our nighttime sky" (qtd. in City Dark). This is why it is important that the next generations realize how negatively light can affect the environment. I am sure that eventually our society will not be putting off nearly the amount of light pollution we do now, but how long will it take for this resolution to occur? I feel that most people have no idea how light pollution is currently hurting the environment and also themselves. Richard Stevens, epidemiologist at the University of Connecticut notes that "epidemiological studies... have shown that women who do shift work are at one and a half to two times the risk of breast cancer compared to women who do not do shift work" (qtd. in City Dark). Shift work sounds bad enough as it is but when there are proven studies to show that it can nearly double cancer rates, I think I'll pass. Hervé Descottes, a lighting designer in City Dark, have a very bright future ahead of them, no pun intended. Once larger portions of society start to see the negative side effects of lights, in nature and in their own lives, lighting designers such as Descottes will be in high demand to find ways to reduce the runoff light pollution. There are many ways the everyday average Joe can contribute to help reduce light pollution. Such as buying covers for larger outside lights, that will help focus the light towards the ground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Or perhaps turning off the lights completely if they are not necessary at all hours of the night. Whether it is trying to reduce cancer rates or saving countless migrating birds from flying into skyscrapers every year, light pollution is something that we can control.