Kiera Jefferson
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. Sources of light pollution include streetlights, house lights, and car lights. Car lights, in particular, contribute to light pollution that damages the darkness resource and harms biological systems. The high-energy, blue wavelength light from car headlights can cause anxiety, anger, and agitation in people. Additionally, light pollution can attract and kill insects, disrupt bird migration, and negatively impact the health of both humans and wildlife. To reduce light pollution, it is recommended to use lighting with lower color temperatures, such as yellow-orange lights, and to implement diffusion coverings on headlights to blend light sources.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Light pollution | The human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally |
| Sources of light pollution | Car lights, streetlights, house lights, lights from high-rise buildings |
| Effects of light pollution | Sleep, behaviour, and functioning |
| Impact on humans | Light pollution can cause stress, headaches, and low energy |
| Impact on wildlife | Insects, migratory birds, pollinators, sea turtles, and mammals are affected by light pollution |
| Solutions | Use of timers and sensors, choosing the right color of light, shielding lights to reduce glare, dimming lights, turning off lights when not needed |
What You'll Learn
- Blue wavelength light can cause anxiety, anger, and agitation
- Light pollution can harm human health and wildlife behaviour
- Light pollution can negatively impact sleep and circadian rhythms
- Insects are attracted to light and can get trapped in car headlights
- Light pollution can be reduced by using diffusion coverings on headlights
Blue wavelength light can cause anxiety, anger, and agitation
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It can be caused by streetlights, house lights, lights from high-rise buildings, and car lights. Car headlights, in particular, contribute to overall light pollution, damaging the darkness resource and harming biological systems.
High-intensity blue wavelength light from car headlights can cause significant harm to humans. Blue light negatively affects sleep and can cause insomnia. This is because blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that influences the circadian rhythm, causing it to be produced irregularly or not at all during the day. The alteration in the production cycle of hormones, mainly adrenaline and cortisol, can contribute to the development of major mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Continuous exposure to blue light and sleep disturbances are deeply related to anxiety disorders, with studies indicating that anxiety disorders can be found in about 24 to 36% of subjects with insomnia.
Blue light exposure increases the levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which are hormones related to normal body function. However, if these hormones are produced in excess, problems can arise. Specifically, overexposure to blue light causes these stress hormones to become abnormally elevated, initially manifesting as physical alterations, but these hormones also have an effect on the mind. This can lead to a vicious cycle, where the person becomes agitated or altered due to a lack of sleep, which further increases the secretion of adrenaline and cortisol, leading to increased heart and respiratory rates, and heightened states of anxiety.
Furthermore, the high-energy blue wavelength light from car headlights can cause discomfort and even anger and agitation in those exposed to it. The eyes are very sensitive, and being hit in the eyes with such high-intensity light can induce feelings of anger and agitation, and may even lead to aggressive behaviour. Repeated encounters with these high-energy lights can potentially lead to mental collapse due to the similarity of the experience to torture.
To mitigate the negative impacts of blue light, it is recommended to use bulbs that are more yellow-orange in colour, as these colours have less of an effect on wildlife. Additionally, outdoor lights can be switched to motion sensor lights, helping to reduce light pollution.
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Light pollution can harm human health and wildlife behaviour
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It is a side effect of industrial civilization, with sources including building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. Light pollution can have harmful effects on human health and wildlife behaviour.
Human Health
Research suggests that artificial light at night can negatively affect human health. The American Medical Association Council on Science and Public Health stated in a 2016 report that "discomfort and disability from intense, blue-rich LED lighting can decrease visual acuity and safety, resulting in concerns and creating a road hazard". Intense blue light can cause anxiety, anger, agitation, and even thoughts of suicide. White LED lamps have been found to have five times the impact on circadian sleep rhythms than conventional street lamps, with brighter residential lighting associated with reduced sleep times, dissatisfaction with sleep quality, excessive sleepiness, impaired daytime functioning, and obesity.
Wildlife Behaviour
Light pollution can also harm wildlife and ecosystems by disrupting biological rhythms and interfering with the behaviour of nocturnal animals. For example, nocturnal birds use the moon and stars for navigation during their bi-annual migrations, and can become disoriented when flying through brightly-lit areas. Sea turtles are also affected, as bright lights discourage females from coming ashore to nest, and newly hatched turtles need a dark night sky to orient themselves towards the sea. Coastal counties in Florida have passed ordinances for residents to turn off beachfront lights during turtle nesting season, but enforcement and the larger problem of sky glow remain issues.
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Light pollution can negatively impact sleep and circadian rhythms
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It is caused by many types of light, including streetlights, house lights, lights from high-rise buildings, and car lights. Car lights, in particular, contribute to light pollution through their luminous intensity and the use of high-energy blue wavelength lights. This form of light pollution can have a detrimental impact on both humans and wildlife.
Additionally, light pollution can interfere with melatonin production. Melatonin is a crucial hormone that helps regulate sleep and is produced in response to darkness. When exposed to light, especially artificial light, our bodies produce less melatonin, which can disrupt our sleep patterns and overall health. This disruption can result in stress, headaches, and low energy levels.
Furthermore, the excessive brightness and glare from car headlights can affect decision-making and increase the risk of accidents for both drivers and pedestrians. The high-energy blue wavelength light can cause discomfort, agitation, and even aggressive behavior. It can also lead to mental health issues with prolonged exposure.
To mitigate the negative impacts of light pollution on sleep and circadian rhythms, it is recommended to use less bright light bulbs or select bulbs with more yellow or orange hues, as these colors have a lesser impact on wildlife and humans. Additionally, outdoor security lights can be replaced with motion sensor lights, reducing unnecessary light pollution. By making these small changes, we can improve sleep quality, protect our health, and reduce the harmful effects of light pollution on both humans and the environment.
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Insects are attracted to light and can get trapped in car headlights
Insects are attracted to light and can easily get trapped in car headlights. Light pollution, caused by human-made outdoor lights, has several harmful effects on the environment, including wildlife. Insects, such as moths, flies, and mosquitoes, are naturally drawn to light sources, and this attraction can lead to their demise.
The phenomenon of insects being attracted to light is well-observed, yet the exact reason remains unclear. One theory, known as the navigation theory, suggests that nocturnal insects use celestial bodies like the moon and stars for navigation. When artificial lights, such as street lamps or car headlights, shine brighter than the moon, insects may be drawn towards them. The rapid change in the position of these light sources as an insect flies by can disorient them, making it challenging for them to escape.
The contrast between the light source and its surroundings also plays a role in attracting insects. The brighter and more intense the light, the more insects it tends to attract. Moths, in particular, are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, which is often used in insect traps. Once attracted to these light sources, insects can meet their end in various ways, including collision with the lamp, burning their wings, becoming trapped and starving, or falling prey to other creatures.
Car headlights contribute significantly to light pollution, especially with the increasing popularity of high-intensity LED headlights. These lights not only attract and harm insects but also have adverse effects on human health and safety. The glare from high-energy blue-wavelength light can impair the decision-making ability of drivers and pedestrians, leading to dangerous conditions on the road. Additionally, the excessive brightness of headlights can disrupt the sleep and circadian rhythms of both humans and wildlife, impacting overall health and well-being.
To mitigate the issue of insects being trapped in car headlights and the broader impacts of light pollution, several measures can be implemented. Firstly, reducing the luminous intensity of headlights and streetlights can help lessen the attraction of insects and improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians. Additionally, using bulbs with lower color temperatures, resulting in a more yellow-orange hue, can minimize the negative impact on wildlife while still providing adequate illumination for safe driving. Implementing diffusion coverings on headlight systems to blend multiple light sources into a single, softer light can also reduce glare and protect the eyes of both humans and animals.
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Light pollution can be reduced by using diffusion coverings on headlights
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It can be caused by streetlights, house lights, lights from high-rise buildings, and car lights, among other sources. Car headlights are a significant contributor to light pollution, as they emit high-intensity light that can have negative effects on both humans and wildlife.
The high-energy, blue wavelength light emitted by car headlights can cause anxiety, anger, agitation, and even thoughts of suicide in humans. This type of light increases disability glare, causing a loss of image acuity and damaging the photoreceptors of the eyes. Additionally, the contrast between the dark night and the bright headlights can make it difficult for pedestrians and oncoming drivers to see, potentially leading to accidents.
To reduce light pollution from car headlights, it is proposed that all headlight systems have a diffusion covering that blends light emitters into a single source. This diffusion covering helps to reduce the glare and intensity of the light emitted by the headlights. By spreading out the light over a larger area, the diffusion covering can decrease the negative effects of light pollution on human and animal eyes.
LED headlights, in particular, can benefit from diffusion coverings. Without them, multiple LED lights can appear as small dots of light, which can be more distracting and dazzling to oncoming drivers. The high color temperature of LED headlights can cause glare and intensity that leads to "mind capture," especially for sensitive receptors. Diffusion coverings can help to mitigate these issues by softening the light emitted by LED headlights.
By implementing diffusion coverings on headlights, we can take a step towards reducing light pollution and its harmful effects on humans, wildlife, and the ecosystem. This simple measure can help protect the darkness resource that is foundational to the health, safety, and proper functioning of biological systems.
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Frequently asked questions
Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It is the brightening of the environment caused by human-made lights.
Light pollution can have harmful effects on human health, wildlife behaviour, and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects. It can also cause light trespass, over-illumination, light clutter, and sky glow.
Light pollution can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep, behaviour, and immune responses. Disruption of melatonin production has been linked to sleep disorders, depression, hypertension, attention deficit disorder, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Light pollution can impact animal behaviours such as migration patterns, wake-sleep habits, and habitat formation. It can also attract and kill insects, birds, and other animals, disrupting food chains and ecosystems.
High-intensity blue wavelength lights, often found in modern car headlights, can contribute to light pollution. These lights can cause glare, impair decision-making, and have harmful effects on humans and wildlife.
