Light Pollution

What is Light Pollution?

Light Pollution is unwanted or harmful light, as from bright streetlights or neon signs.
Light Pollution occurs in three different forms. It causes an atmospheric phenomenon known as sky glow. It happens because of poorly designed and improperly aimed light fixtures called luminaries.

The Primary Cause of Light Pollution:

The primay causes of light pollution are public street lighting, the lighting from vehicles, (particularly cars), the floodlighting of buildings and advertising signs, the floodlighting of sports stadiums, security floodlighting and lighting from building interiors.

What Does Light Pollution Cause?

Not being able to see all the stars is only one of the problems caused by light pollution. Light pollution also affects nature and animals. Many birds can no longer see the stars that guide their journey when they migrate. Other birds become confused by the lights and fly into buildings.

Sea turtles are also affected. Female sea turtles crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs in the sand. They use moon light to help them find their way back to the water. Many times, both the adult sea turtles and the babies that hatch from the eggs become confused and turn toward the road instead of the ocean.
Light pollution also wastes natural resources by burning fuel that isn't needed. When fossil fuels are burned, they add to pollution in the air.

Too much light can be bad for people, too. We need darkness just as much as we need light. Darkness tells our brain it's time to rest. Without that signal, we can't rest properly.