7th August 2024 (8 Topics)
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Light Pollution
Context
According to a new study, High levels of artificial light at night (ALAN) are making tree leaves tougher and harder for insects to eat, posing a threat to urban food chains.
About Light Pollution:
- Light pollution, defined as the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial lighting, can have numerous negative impacts.
- These range from disturbing migrating birds and newly hatched sea turtles to marring wilderness experiences and landscape beauty.
- Light pollution has increased about 10 percent each year over the past decade, making it one of the most drastic changes humans have made to the environment.
Impacts:
- Artificial lights that run all night, like streetlights, can make leaves grow tougher and less appetizing for insects.
- Artificial light has increased levels of night-time brightness by almost 10%: most of the world’s population experiences light pollution every night. Because plant properties affect their interactions with other plants and animals, any changes to plants caused by artificial light could have a significant impact on the ecosystem.
Effect on Mammals and Birds:
- Mammals– Mammals such as bats, raccoons, coyotes, deer, and moose can experience difficulty foraging for food at night due to over illumination. They risk exposure to natural predators and increased mortality due to night vision impairment. They also experience a decline in reproduction that leads to a shrinking population.
- Birds– Birds such as owls and nighthawks use moonlight and starlight to hunt and migrate at night. Artificial lights sources can overwhelm natural light sources, causing birds to be drawn to or fixated on the artificial lights. This results in birds deviating from their intended migration route, flying until they experience exhaustion and collapse.
| Recent Interventions: Dark sky reserves:
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