As we are all learning, the ills of light pollution reach far beyond the night sky. Not only is our planet increasingly enshrouded beneath a cosmos-veiling opacity, light pollution is adversely affecting life, dirtying our atmosphere, and wasting many millions of dollars. Poorly-managed nighttime lighting has been directly linked to:
*Disruption and decline of many nocturnal plant and animal species
*Higher cancer rates in humans
*Auto accidents, many of them fatal
*Thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions
*Billions of dollars in wasted energy
There are many things you can do to help address the growing issue of light pollution, from updating to IDA-approved lighting, to raising awareness in your locale. This summer, McDonald Observatory will promote awareness through their StarDate radio program and summer workshops. They’ve also just released the following video, encouraging us all to turn down the lights and lock out that “thief of the night.”
Tags: Light Pollution