When stars disappear…
One of the negative effects of industrialization on human activity and the environment is the production of excessive light. Most people do not consider the surplus of artificial light as a form of pollution because it is not permanent; all we must do is collectively turn out our lights to make it disappear. In reality, however, such a solution is unrealistic because our society needs artificial light to function. Light pollution is mainly caused by lighting systems that are misdirected, excessive, inefficient or unnecessary. The negative effects of light pollution on human activity are numerous. From an economic point of view, for example, the use of excessive lighting or unnecessary lighting constitutes a waste of energy that is costly to both the individual and to industries. On a larger scale, excessive lighting can have an impact on global climate change if the required electricity was generated by burning fossil fuels. Wildlife and plants are also affected. For example, nighttime lighting can confuse animals that migrate (like migratory birds), can modify predator-prey relationships, and can even alter competitiveness within the same species.
It is even possible for entire ecosystems to be affected. In lakes, for example, zooplankton may stop
feeding on algae if nighttime lighting is too strong. The result is excessive algae growth that eventually decomposes and causes an increase in bacterial activity. This leads to oxygen depletion in the lake,
and many species of invertebrates and fish then die by asphyxiation. In astronomy, light pollution is a
real and pressing problem. It diminishes the contrast between the dark sky and celestial sources of
light, which makes it harder to see the stars. For professional astronomers, artificial light is undesirable
because it interferes with the collection of data. This is why new observatories are built in isolated
regions.
Programs to reduce light pollution have been started up by several astronomical centres across
Canada, including ASTROLab and the Mont-Mégantic Observatory, the David Dunlap Observatory in
Toronto. A number of amateur astronomy associations are also involved in protecting our endangered
legacy, the starry night sky. The focus of light pollution abatement programs is to change the habits of
the general population, companies and urban planners so that less artificial light will be wasted or
misdirected.
Source: http://astro-canada.ca/_en/a3800.html
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