Light pollution is a phenomenon that many of us don’t know about, but it’s something that can have a significant impact on our health and that of the wildlife around us. In fact, over 80 percent of the world’s population is affected by this kind of pollution, so it’s important to talk about it and learn how we can combat it.
Light pollution is essentially when an area is flooded with artificial light. This could be anything from streetlights to illuminated buildings and signs, but also includes more subtle sources such as night lights in bedrooms and even light creeping in through windows and curtains. This kind of light interrupts the natural darkness of the night sky, making it difficult for us to get a good night sleep or see the stars above us.
In nature, animals depend on darkness for their migrations, mating rituals and other behaviors. When there are too many lights at night time, these animals can become confused or disoriented and may struggle to survive as a result. Human health is also impacted by this unnatural interruption; studies show that people living in areas with high levels of light pollution tend to suffer from sleep deprivation or interrupted circadian rhythms which can lead to long-term health problems such as depression, diabetes and obesity.
Fortunately though, there are ways in which we can combat this issue – particularly through awareness campaigns like the documentary ‘The Dark Side Of Light’. This film highlights some of the issues surrounding light pollution while providing tips on how we can reduce our impact on our environment. Such tips include turning off unnecessary lights after sunset, using motion-sensor lighting outdoors and avoiding bright screens at night time.
By watching documentaries like ‘The Dark Side Of Light’, we can become more aware of how our actions are affecting not just ourselves but also our planet and its creatures – both big and small! So let’s work together to bring back darkness – something that has been taken away due to human interference – so future generations will have access to the beauty of a starry night sky!
