by Evan Sarchio

            When was the last time you were able to look up and see the stars shining bright in the night sky? Have you ever been able to see the Big Dipper? As we progress towards a sustainable and equitable future, our energy distribution and usage has long been analyzed as it is one of the most important things we must change. The focus, however, remains centered around power plant pollution and fossil fuel versus renewable energy, although a newer idea – light pollution – has gained traction recently. While not yet on the forefront of climate agendas, the effects of a brighter world are not primary concerns when discussing society’s shift towards a new future, but its impact on humans and wildlife is noticeable. While individuals should be wary of their own lights, there should be a collective push for government regulation of light in order to minimize harm done to human sleep patterns, animal development, and migration patterns among other reasons.

            Artificially lighting our world has contributed greatly to the explosion of human evolution over the past 3 centuries, and light pollution reached an all time high in the 21st century.^[1] The movement towards urbanization and city planning as well as decreasing barriers to purchase electronics have made light pollution incredibly pervasive in contemporary society and something that many people cannot escape. In fact, studies show that more than 80% of the world and around 98% of U.S. and European citizens live under “sky glow,” a prettied up word for light pollution.^[2]Anything that emits light – from giant billboards to cell phones – is considered a source of light pollution and can have personal or city-wide impacts that are almost always negative. 

Studies show that our lighted infrastructure -skyscrapers, streetlights, and more – wreak havoc on wildlife.^[3]Plenty of established literature concludes that light pollution changes the way birds migrate, fish swim, and insects breed; and new findings are being published studying behavioral changes of other species due to anthropogenic lighting.^[4]Diving insect populations, loss of bodily functions in amphibians, a shortened foraging and hunting window for nocturnal mammals, and noticeable photosynthesis and morphological changes in vegetation are just some of the issues that an extended “daytime” can cause.^[5] But these are all sciency ways of telling the same story: our bright skies are ruining the natural patterns of nature. And while we should obviously care about wildlife, light pollution can affect us as well.

            Sure, your mother says that you need to put down your phone because it ruins your life, but maybe she’s wrong for the first time ever. Unfortunately, studies show that yes, light pollution has negative consequences on humans too. Personal devices like computers and mobile phones have incredible effects on the natural function of the human body. Most electronics emit blue-light, a wavelength which suppresses natural melatonin production after prolonged exposure.^[6] You may say “hey, melatonin comes in those tablets which help me sleep” to which professionals say: “correct.” Melatonin produced by the body allows us to slow down and get ready for bed, making us stay asleep and feel rested for the next day. In fact, there are numerous Saudi Arabian studies observing the balance between screen time before bed and sleep quality. One such study saw a connection between sleep disturbance and an overall drop in quality of sleep among Saudi residents who used their phones before bedtime.^[7] It also found that those who used their screens before bed were less productive the following workday, with results becoming more apparent the more time was spent using electronics.^[8] Maybe mom was right.

            In light of these findings and more, organizations like the National Audubon Society are advocating for energy planning to Congress and local governments.^[9] The Dark Sky Association works with government entities – like the National Park Service – to raise awareness about light pollution and minimize its impacts.^[10] While individual efforts are incredibly helpful to our personal health, U.S. citizens should push local governments to mandate our lights to help nature. Incentives through funding or vouchers – either on a state-wide or city-to-city basis – to turn off unneeded lights can be immensely productive in reestablishing natural functions and preserving nocturnal activities of wildlife populations. If done properly, minimizing our lights during the night can help nature and help ourselves while not sacrificing any efficiency in our society. So hey, maybe turn off the house lights before you go to bed.

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^[1] National Geographic Society. “Light Pollution.” Nationalgeographic.org, 19 Oct. 2023

^[2] Falchi, Fabio. “The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness.” Science advances, 10 June 2016.

^[3] The International Dark Sky Association. “Light Pollution Harms Wildlife and Ecosystems.” September 2014

^[4] Jägerbrand, Annika. “Effects of anthropogenic light on species and ecosystems.” June 2023

^[5] Jägerbrand, Annika. “Effects of anthropogenic light on species and ecosystems.” June 2023

^[6] Wood, Brittany, et al. “Light Level and Duration of Exposure Determine the Impact of

Self-Luminous Tablets on Melatonin Suppression.” July 2012

^[7] Alshobaili, Fahdah. “The effect of smartphone usage at bedtime on sleep quality among Saudi non- medical staff at King Saud University Medical City.” June 2019

^[8] Alshobaili, Fahdah. “The effect of smartphone usage at bedtime on sleep quality among Saudi non- medical staff at King Saud University Medical City.” June 2019

^[9] National Audubon Society. audubon.org/

^[10] International Dark Sky Association. darksky.org