Light pollution is disruptive to many species, from corals to bats to the humans who put up all those lights. In his book The Darkness Manifesto, zoologist Johan Eklof urges us to reconsider our drive to dispel the dark.
Zoologist Johan Eklof began to consider the disappearance of darkness in our brightly lit world in 2015, when he was out counting bats in southern Sweden. The surrounding grounds were dark, as they had been decades earlier when his academic adviser had tallied the bat populations in the region’s churches. In the intervening years, however, those churches – whose belfries are famously appreciated by the winged mammals – had been illuminated with floodlights.The short answer: Not well.
“It really shook my faith,” Christopher Kyba, a researcher at the German Research Center for Geosciences and lead author of the study, said of the dramatic results. “I had been quite an optimist that with newer technology, things were going to get better, because lights are better designed. But instead what we saw is that most countries are getting brighter.”
But it’s not just insects. Newly hatched sea turtles head inland toward the city’s glow rather than to the moonlit sea. Tricked by outdoor lighting, urban trees stay green longer than their rural counterparts. On one Australian island, the light was so disruptive that wallabies, whose gestation is normally triggered by the summer solstice, ended up giving birth so much later in the season that food had run out.
That system includes us. The Darkness Manifesto tracks how light pollution has increased insomnia, depression and even obesity: Leptin, the hormone that controls appetite, works in conjunction with melatonin, the light-sensitive hormone that tells us when to sleep. But Eklof is also interested in impacts that aren’t strictly health related.
“If there are no people in the park, you don’t need to light up the park,” he said. Motion sensors, timers, and red or yellow bulbs, whose light more closely mimics that of the stars at night than bright white light, can also help.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Disney+ is the streaming service for those who want it allFrom Hollywood blockbusters to original Marvel Studios’ series and exclusive K-pop documentaries, Disney+ has a diverse entertainment slate to suit everyone’s tastes.
Read more »
Why bird flu in mammals sparks fear of the virus spreading in humansAn avian influenza - bird flu - outbreak with the H5N1 strain that began in 2020 has hit record levels, affecting millions of animals. As the virus mutates genetically and spreads geographically, the normal ebb and flow of infection has given way to a persistently elevated level in wild birds. Th
Read more »
Why do you feel butterflies in your stomach when you're on a date?Here's the biology behind the butterflies sensation people get when they’re falling in love or in high-pressure situations.
Read more »
Eerie AI: Why chatbots sometimes act weirdly and say nonsensical thingsNo, chatbots aren't sentient. Here's how their underlying technology works.
Read more »
Minister Indranee Rajah explains why Singapore's total fertility rate is at 'historic low'The resident total fertility rate in Singapore dropped to its lowest-ever level of 1.05 in 2022, falling below the previous record of 1.1 in 2020.
Read more »
How to be a ‘promad’: What is ‘promadic travel’ and why should you care about it?A new generation of luxury travellers called ‘promads’ are in search of truly sustainable hotels and wellness experiences that transform their lives for the better.
Read more »