Aubrey Harris
Professor Teresa Boyer
English 115
18 November 2013
Light
Pollution
Light Pollution is a serious matter which citizens,
particularly graveyard shift workers and night wanderers, should look at
carefully. It’s come time that everyone stop and simply bask in the destruction
that we have caused for our own personal benefit. Now some may wonder why
something that isn’t visible to the naked eye can be such a gigantic problem;
well I’m here to tell you that all pollution must be taken into serious
consideration. Although this destruction may not harm the environment let alone
individuals right away it has drastic effects that can damage not only human
kind, but the planet over time. Light Pollution includes the several lights we
leave on knowing they won’t be needed anytime soon, as well as the several
extravagant lights that can manipulate night to appear as bright as day. Our
own precautions have become a double-edged sword where the security of sight is
granted, but the consequences to the planet and people are dire. As inhabitants
of this planet we must be more aware of the toxins we produce that cloud the
sky in order to save a life and stop the destruction of the beauty of this
world. We can “save the world” by eliminating light pollution.
Now let’s go deeper into the vast setbacks that we’ve
created for ourselves. The rays from artificial lights are as deadly as being
exposed to X Rays without the lead cover. The International Dark-Sky
Association from the Physical Effects of Light also believes that people who
are exposed to this lighting have higher health risks by stating that “The
hypothesis (first proposed by cancer epidemiologist Richard G. Stevens) is
based on cancer rates becoming higher as nations become more industrialized-
increased artificial lighting is a common consequence of industrialization.”
This shows that even though harm isn’t physically shown in the first stages
there will be dire consequences to those who have to pull a later shift in
order to make ends meet.
Medical professionals will agree that the disruptive
force of light pollution eventually causes cancer. Anisimov from Light Pollution, Reproductive
Function and Cancer Risk said “Disruption of the circadian
rhythms induced by light pollution has been associated with cancer in humans.
There are epidemiological evidences of increased breast and colon cancer risk
in shift workers.” So much for being a harmless sky glow, right folks? Unfortunately,
that’s not the only thing that goes bump in the night; when left burning a light
bulb wastes energy and creates greenhouse gases, otherwise known as carbon
dioxide. Don’t just take my word for it listen to Bob Mizon from Light Pollution: Responses and Remedies:
“The fact that a 100W bulb left burning for a year causes about a quarter of a
ton of carbon dioxide to be emitted by the power station gives pause for
thought”(45). As time goes by the greenhouse gases will envelop the Earth,
adding to the already devastating effects of global warming.
Recently
I’ve come across a picture that shows the difference between one city filled
with pollution and one more towards the country side that doesn’t use excess
amounts of electricity and lighting. The difference between the two stuck to me
like glue as the town using less electricity had a better view of the night sky
and showed no sign of being affected by the toxins of artificial light. It’s
not as if unplugging unnecessary electronics and setting back street lights to
hours where they are absolutely needed will strain anyone’s time or schedule.
This one simple action will result in a positive situation where the sky can be
somewhat clear, or at least stop thickening in smog and other various dark
coverings. With that being said, we can also use this opportunity to save
people from winding up in the poor house.
Artificial
lights disrupt the ecosystem’s function by altering the patterns of light in
space as well as the wavelengths in space and time. Things such as neon, sport,
and street lights may be helpful for various reasons, but the aftereffects will
eventually become the sky’s downfall. Due to recent research we’ve come to the
realization that the impact of light pollution affects the thresholds of space
itself, showing the dangers of using too much light for simple matters outside
and wasting electricity inside as well. Kevin Gaston from Biological Reviews said it best when he stated “As artificial lighting
alters natural patterns of light in space, time and across wavelengths, natural
patterns of resource use and information flows may be disrupted, with
downstream effects to the structure and function of ecosystems.” Such effects
on space can make it hard for astronomers to do any research; let alone find a
place to perform their work.
Due to the effects of light pollution
observatories are becoming obsolete with no place to fully grasp the wonders of
space. With few places that show space astronomers and astronauts could be at
risk of losing their jobs adding to the ongoing struggling job market. Merle F.
Walker Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific proved that this
is an issue that must be addressed with this key note in their article “It is
concluded that the effectiveness of all major observatories in California and
Arizona are limited by light pollution. Consequently, it is essential immediate
procedures be undertaken” (508). Light pollution not only effects the job
market for already experienced astronomers and astronauts, but for teachers and
future students as well. Like the others in the profession Astronomy teachers
will soon have no place to work, and with no place to work these workers will
become obsolete. Ultimately, we will lose an entire department of education
wasting the great minds of thousands of individuals.
A progression map provides evidence that the US will
continue to waste electricity and soon the entire nation will be enveloped in
light pollution by 2025. Now this isn’t the type of pollution we are used to
today; it goes to an astronomical scale where there would be no possible idea
that we had night to begin with. I’d simply hope that if we get to the point of
no return certain areas such as national parks and animal sanctuaries would
have a small view of clear starlit sky.
There are several solutions to eliminating light
pollution than the obvious turning off the lights alternative. With more
involvement from manufacturers an alternative to the street lights we use today
can be made. Flat-glass road lights evenly distribute light onto the surface of
the street while not going up into the sky, which is all at the same cost as
the original. Local authorities and legislators can also take part by creating
measures that will reduce light pollution with a strict enforcement of the law.
These laws would apply to residential and commercial areas along with areas of
nature conservation interest. With more education on light pollution the people
will understand that this affects everyone visible or not.
Every action has equal or greater reaction no matter how
small it may seem. This action of misuse of light is tearing the very fabric of
space. The fact of the matter is the world’s beauty is slowly fading; like a
pearl that lacking in luster. Earth and its inhabitants are being cut off of
all of the things that make it thrive from water, to glaciers, to trees, all
the way to the great visions of beauty that were given to us since birth. Now’s
the time to take a look at the constant destruction we have done to this planet
for our own benefit; mostly it’s the time for action and not words so the
children can have a brighter tomorrow and not one filled with artificial
lights. Let’s give a hoot and not pollute it could make a substantial
difference for the economy let alone the world.
Works
Cited
Anisimov, VN..
"Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S.
National
Library
of Medicine, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1664
Gaston, Kevin J., et
al. "The Ecological Impacts of Nighttime Light Pollution: A Mechanistic
Appraisal."
Biological Reviews 88.4 (2013): 912-927. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6
Nov.
2013.
Merle F. Walker
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 85, No. 507
(October
1973), pp. 508-519 Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of
Mizon, Bob. Light
pollution: responses and remedies. London: Springer, 2002. Print.
International Dark-Sky
Association. "Physical Effects of Light." Fighting Light Pollution:
Smart
Lighting Solutions for Individuals and Communities. 1st
ed. Mechanicsburg, PA:
Stackpole,
2012. 20-22. Print.
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