By Jenny Whidden
When you flip on your bright porch lights each night, you could be doing more than muddying your view of the Milky Way: Unnecessary light disrupts wildlife, affects human health and contributes to climate change, advocates say.
The Chicago area is a particularly shiny example of light pollution, with light emissions several times higher than what many scientists say are needed.
For instance, consider Cook County and the Berlin metro area. Though similarly sized and populated, we emit more than seven times the amount of light as the German city.
“It’s a perfect example of, ‘Wait a minute, it’s not like you have to do it this way,’” said Ken Walczak, a senior manager at the Adler Planetarium, adding that our streetlights, residential lights and even interior lights are commonly several times brighter than standard recommendations.
With human biology trained to a day-to-night cycle over four and a half billion years of evolution, the relatively recent proliferation of electric light has already begun altering that cycle, Walczak said.
According to research out of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, the connection between poor health and bright artificial light is well-established. The light throws a wrench in our biological clocks, creating long-term health consequences like cognitive decline, heart disease and cancer.
The effect on the natural world is just as significant.
“Seventy percent of all mammals are nocturnal,” Walczak said. “If we’ve extinguished the night, think about the ramifications that has for so many species and so many ecosystems.”
Naturalist Valerie Blaine, who is retired from serving as the nature program manager for the Kane County Forest Preserve, said she always thought light pollution was something only astronomy buffs cared about — until she realized how diverse and far-reaching light’s impact on the environment is.
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