Surely light pollution is a great unknown, the general attention is always diverted towards topics generally conceived as more relevant. However, light pollution has more serious consequences than is thought, despite the fact that it has not been studied as deeply as it should. It is true that living beings have adapted their rhythm of life (biorhythm) throughout their evolution to astronomical cycles, such as the alternation between day and night, but it seems that the human being has again interfered in the course natural and threatens to alter these biorhythms "eliminating" the night. It is therefore something obvious that light pollution has serious consequences on living beings, including us.
At Ecologista Verde we grab your attention to tell you about this undervalued form of night sky pollution in this article on the light pollution: definition, causes and consequences.
What is light pollution
Light pollution consists of the scattering of surplus light from artificial lighting sources by the atmosphere that consequently cause the brightness on the night sky to increase. This brightness increases due to the reflection and refractive properties of light as it passes through the particles found in our atmosphere.
Generally, light pollution is due to the poor quality of the lighting, and as a consequence, it reduces the visibility of the celestial bodies in the sky at night..
Light pollution encompasses various problems associated with misuse of artificial light, often unnecessary, which entails both wastage in energy consumption and in the associated economy.
It is true that lighting provides great advantages such as security, traffic flow or attracting attention to areas of interest. However, it also entails great costs and drawbacks. It is not a question of eliminating these sources of lighting, but of find a balance that respects our environment.
Therefore, it is logical to think that light pollution is increased in places where artificial lighting abounds, such as large cities, usually with poor management of them. This is because its design is guided by aesthetics and not by its functionality, taking into account the repercussions that they may have.
Causes of light pollution
As we mentioned before, the main cause of this type of contamination is the misuse of artificial lighting. But what does this consist of? Well, most street lamps have the wrong design by sending the light they emit upwards, that is, towards the sky (for example, those round street lamps that look like a ball of light). However, where that light is really needed is on the ground, so that to illuminate this area it is necessary to administer a greater power, producing energy waste.
However, poor exterior lighting screening is not the only cause. Other sources of very large light intensities contribute to light pollution (overlighting), these causes of light pollution are:
- The projectors or laser cannons.
- Excessive lighting for advertising purposes.
- the absence of an efficient switch-off and switch-on schedule, since in many cases lighting is unnecessary for the activities planned in that specific area.
It is important to consider that the consequences caused by light pollution do not simply affect the area where it occurs, such as large population centers, commercial areas, industrial estates, roads and communication routes, etc., but rather that its effect spreads through the atmosphere, reaching a mark many kilometers further from where it originated.
Consequences of light pollution
The most direct and immediate consequence of light pollution is the night sky degradation and the loss of your visibility. When this occurs at high intensities, the night sky takes on a reddish or orange hue.
However, this is not the only sequel that this type of contamination has, among them we can also highlight the following:
- Energy loss with the consequent economic loss. The consequences of light pollution are not limited to the economic expense of the excess energy invested in it, but also to the consequent abuse of the natural resources that are needed to achieve it, that is, again nature is the only one that "pays for our whims ".
- Excessive energy consumption generates higher amounts of waste during its production, which contributes to climate change.
- Alters the natural cycles of many species by causing changes in their activity-rest biorhythms.
- Derived from the modification of biorhythms, it can produce fatigue, insomnia, or anxiety, among others.
- It seriously affects the food chains in which the nocturnal animals, since their hunting capacity is compromised and, therefore, their feeding.
If you want to read more articles similar to Light pollution: definition, causes and consequences, we recommend that you enter our Pollution category.
