Madeline Wampler
ENG 308J – Argument Essay
March 03, 2010
Luminosity Illuminated Through the Miasma
“The only way to explain what we’ve done to the night: We’ve engineered it to receive us by filling it with light” states, Verlyn Klinkenborg in Our Vanishing Night Sky (1). The idea of light pollution is a relatively new issue concerning pollution in general. Issues like water pollution and air pollution have taken priority with researchers and scientists. I feel that light pollution is a very pressing issue. If we take the necessary steps to understanding all the issues surrounding light pollution, then we can responsibly address the problem and make reasonable solutions.
So what exactly is light pollution? I found many definitions, but Carl Shaflik outlines the definition quite nicely in his article, Light Pollution Environmental Effects of Roadway Lighting. Shaflik states that, “Light pollution is a generic term that encompasses many different aspects of improper lighting . . . The three major components of light pollution are light trespass, glare and urban sky glow” (Shaflik 8). Light trespass can be defined as light going where it is not intended to go. An example would be if you live next to a street lamp and the light not only covers the roadway it is intended to cover, but also enters your home. Not only is something like this annoying, but that extra light that is entering your home is light waste. It is unwanted, unused energy and energy cost money. Glare according to Shaflik has three areas worth separate definition. “Blinding glare: A glare that is so intense that for an appreciable time after the stimulus has been removed no object can be seen or easily distinguished . . . Disability glare: Glare that causes reduced visual performance . . . [and] Discomfort glare: Glare that produces discomfort or annoyance without necessarily interfering with visual performance” (Shaflik 10). Urban sky glow is something that everyone may be more familiar with. It is the excess of light given off by urban areas that make it virtually impossible to see the night sky.
Beyond this general definition of light pollution there are several other factors that are of interest. How is light effecting our health? Humans have created artificial lights that allow them to operate on their own schedules. We are no longer limited by the natural rhythm of things and it seems to be affecting our health. When I wake up in the morning, I turn on every light from my bedroom to the kitchen trying to convince my brain that the sun is up. Also, the health of animals living near humans is affected. By taking measures like; revising public roadway lighting and switching incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, government and the public can work together to prevent energy waste and light pollution.
In order to demonstrate more fully how humans are affected by light, I would like to address the findings coming from the Human Ecological Social Economical Project (HESE) website. Here one can learn about the health concerns that are linked to the constant exposure of artificial light. Including but not limited to: aggression, ADD, autism, cancer, diabetes, dyslexia, epilepsy, fatigue, headaches, hyperactivity, and learning difficulties among many others. How many college students have stayed up all night in a library lit by fluorescent light? I would guess well over half. I can say that I have felt aggressive, fatigued and suffered from headaches as a direct result of such activity. So artificial light is bad for you? Not all of it, in an article by, Mariana Gross Figueiro, Mark S. Rea and Gregory Eggleston titled, Light Therapy and Alzheimer’s Disease they, “undertook a pilot study to determine if exposure to blue light from light emitting diodes (LEDs) could have a clinical impact on AD [Alzheimer’s Disease] patients” (Figueiro 2). Their findings indicated that by being exposed to this blue light during the day helped patients to be “more awake during the day and more asleep at night” (Figueiro 3). This is helpful not only to Alzheimer patients, but also family and caregivers. The common thread through both of these findings is constant, artificial light effects our biological sleep cycle, and deviating from this necessary cycle results in health concerns. All of these issues are directly related to the issue of light pollution, because we need light. We do not need to abolish light; we need to abolish light waste. Just because I can choose to work a third shift job does not mean everyone must. Practicing a regular sleep cycle is a nice thought, but illogical for many people. By addressing light pollution as a real environmental concern, we can begin to discover more quality lighting solutions. “Imagine light when and where you need it, illuminating a path to the library entrance as you walk along it; a parking lot lit only when occupied; looking up from your screen or book to view the constellations, even the Milky Way” (Gallina 5). This is an insight from Carla Gallina and Jeffrey Mandyck in their article, Light Done Right, where we can begin to think of light as working for us. Humans have created this well-lit world and now it is time to control it.
The effect that light has on our health can be negative and can have beneficial effects as supported by Figueiro, Rea, and Eggleston, but what about the health of animals and the environment? In Verlyn Klinkenborg’s essay, Our Vanishing Night, many environmental issues are touched on. In this essay there is discussion about migratory birds that are greatly affected by artificial lights, also foraging animals that have become more cautious because “they’ve become easier targets for predators” (Klinkenborg 1), and nesting turtles that when hatched, “gravitate toward the brighter, more reflective sea horizon” (Klinkenborg 2) that are led astray by artificial lights. Klinkenborg’s essay glosses over many issues that are very important but does not pinpoint any one specific concern.
In Sharon Wise’s essay, Studying the Ecological Impacts of Light Pollution on Wildlife: Amphibians as Models, the reader is given a specific example which can help in gaining a greater understanding of some direct causes and effects of light pollution. She pinpoints amphibians because they “are particularly sensitive to environmental changes”, (Wise 107) and are an indicator species. Her overall conclusion of this particular issue is that more research needs to be done in order to accurately and scientifically connect artificial light to species degradation, but she does consistently find that artificial light is not beneficial to the lives of amphibians. She uses finding from laboratory, field and natural observation experiments to help address the issue of light pollution in regards to how it affects amphibians. In laboratory experiments she reports that, “melatonin production was lowered in salamanders kept under constant light” (Wise 111). This basically states that dark is needed by amphibians in order to live and grow normally. In field experiments she states that, “there were significantly more salamanders active on the forest floor in the dark transects than in the lighted transects” (Wise 112). In natural observation experiments Wise addresses another study enacted by Baker in which it was, “hypothesized that toads aggregated under street lamps because of the increased insect abundance (prey for toads) found there. Although such aggregations may be beneficial in providing toads with abundant, conspicuous food source, [it] may also make toads more susceptible to mortality as a result of bicycle or automotive traffic” (Wise 113). I found Wise’s study to be particularly beneficial because she covers more than one scientific way in which light pollution can affect amphibian life. Although her argument is very narrow, it does show through the scientific lens how light is affecting the life cycle of a particular indicator species.
By recognizing species health as being effected by light pollution we can start to approach ideas of how to avoid and fix the problem of light pollution and its effects on other ecosystems besides our own. Regulations being placed on businesses, homes, etcetera, that border natural wildlife zones would be a good start or even placing signs that notify surrounding neighbors of the animals sensitive to light. Making connections to the public beyond the scientific realm is extremely important. Smokey the Bear is a great example of how this can be done. I propose Oliver the Night Owl as a counterpart, or Sally the Salamander. It is important to note that the environment is affected by everything in it. Light pollution does not just affect our health and the health of animals, but the overall health of an environment.
Now, let us look at the use of light in public areas and roadways and how it relates to light pollution. It is essential that some areas are lighted in the night, like roadways. “Reduction of nighttime accidents, aid to police protection, facilitation of traffic flow, promotion of businesses, inspiration of community growth [and] safety for pedestrians” (Shaflik 8) are just a few of the obvious reasons it is crucial to use light. Although we may not be able to discontinue our use of light, we are able to control the type, quality and placement of light fixtures. Shaflik estimates that “35% to 50% of light pollution is caused by roadway lighting” (Shaflik 2) and he gives simple, yet important ways to reduce this number. By using light fixtures called full-cutoff luminaries, glare is reduced. Unlike the use of non-cutoff luminaries where the glare produced is nearly equal to the amount of usable light produced. Shaflik also talks about how the average road light fixture has an estimated 25 years of “service life”. So if every non-cutoff luminary was replaced with the more efficient type of full-cutoff luminary, the process of switching would be complete in about 25 years, total. This small switch would not require any extra labor and would undoubtedly help in the fight against light pollution.
Gallina and Mandyck also address the issue of quality light for public libraries. They talk of how “few libraries have a facilities budget that allows changing lighting for the sole purpose of reducing light pollution. Yet, in many instances reducing light pollution will also result in reduced energy and maintenance costs, which may justify a larger modification program” (Gallina 9). Although they are able to come to the conclusion that changing light quality can be energy efficient, they are unable to exact a number to the affordability of such changes. It is a logical progression to modify our public lighting. Now that we have recognized the issue of light pollution we should maintain existing public lights intelligently and we should address new construction with light waste in mind.
Another issue that should be addressed is the switch from incandescent light bulbs (which waste energy by producing excess heat) to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFs). Many people have made this change in their homes because it is not labor intensive and seems to make sense. CFs are initially more expensive to purchase, but make up for their cost my saving you money in electricity bills. They are efficient because they do not produce as much excess heat as incandescent bulbs. But CFs carry a certain amount of mercury that is essential to their productivity. Mercury is a dangerous heavy metal that can be detrimental to our health. Because CFs contain mercury, they must be disposed of differently than incandescent bulbs; you cannot just throw them in the garbage. The disposal of compact fluorescents has become a rather large issue.
In Athens, Ohio, the Solid Waste District does not collect or recycle compact fluorescent bulbs. The Solid Waste District is the collector for Hocking County as well as Athens County. So if the County does not collect, does the city of Athens? According to Ed Newman of Ohio University Campus Recycling, Athens city does collect hazardous waste like CFs, but not regularly and they do not publically announce such collection dates. What about Ohio University; what are they doing? Mr. Newman states that Ohio University does have drop-off locations on campus for CFs, but they are for on-campus housing only. This means that although it would be possible for anyone to drop their CFs in these locations, they are restricted for campus housing. Mr. Newman said that the University is only given so much money for recycling of this nature and that is why they restrict the CFs recycling to campus residents only. I never imagined that compact fluorescents were so hard to dispose of.
There are a few other alternatives for people in Athens who do not live on campus (although they seem very inconvenient). Home Depot advertises that they take CFs and recycle them. The closest Home Depots are in Lancaster and Zanesville, Ohio and Parkersberg, West Virginia. In Columbus there is the Household Hazardous Waste drop-off center. However, the HHW in Columbus only has hours Wednesday and Friday 12pm-6pm and Thursday 9am-5pm. The options are few and far between when trying to dispose of CFs in Athens, Ohio.
Some of the other solutions that people can address in their homes are simply turning off unused light. This idea is in no way new, my mother has always pushed this idea; following around people in our house turning off all the lights in the unoccupied rooms. It is also important to surround yourself with quality lighting, lighting that is appealing aesthetically. This may seem like a small thing, but our health is greatly affected by the quality of light it is surrounded with. Also, it is very important to be considerate of outdoor lighting when talking about solutions at home. Many people have security lights that shine well beyond their driveway or sidewalk. We do not need to illuminate the whole neighborhood to be secure. Another easy solution is to close the drapes at night; keeping the light your using in your home inside your home.
Light pollution is a topic that first came to the foreground as an issue that concerned astronomers trying to view the night sky. It has progressed to become a problem that affects our health, the health of plants and animals, and the health of the environment, energy production, and individual responsibilities. Educating yourself about light pollution is essential in the fight against it. Organizations like the International Dark-Sky Association have been working for years to make the issue of light pollution a popular concern. The issue is gaining momentum and deserves to be recognized. What are you going to do? Easy solutions at home are the first step. The next step should be the involvement of government and public establishments. Everyone has a say in the fight against light pollution, it is just a matter of raising your voice.
WORKS CITED
Books
1.)Mizon, Bob. Light Pollution: Responses and Remedies. Singapore: Springer-Verlag London Limited, 2002. Print.
Magazines
1.)Gallina, Carla. "Light Done Right." Library Journal 2009: 1-5. Print.
Websites
1.) "Mercury Releases and Spills." Environmental Protection Agency. Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009. Web. 1 Mar 2010. http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
2.) Figueiro, Rea, Eggleston, Mariana Gross, Mark S, Gregory. "Issue Stories." Light Therapy and Alzheimer’s Disease. Januaru-February 2003. Sleep Review, Web. 1 Feb 2010. http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/articles/2003-01_01.asp
3.) "Artificial Light in the Environment: Human Health Effects." h.e.s.e. project UK. 2010. Human Ecological Social Economical Project, Web. 1 Mar 2010. http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/issues/.
4.) Klinkenborg, Verlyn. "Light Pollution." National Geographic.com. November 2008. National Geographic, Web. 24 Jan 2010. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/light-pollution/klinkenborg-text.
Unpublished Essays
1.) Shaflik, Carl. “Light Pollution: Environmental Effects of Roadway Lighting. Technical Paper prepared for: CIVL 582 – Transportation Engineering Impacts.” University of British Columbia. http://www.shaflik.com/documents/LIGHT%20POLLUTION%20TECHNICAL%20PAPER.pdf
2.) Wise, Sharon. “Studying the Ecological Impacts of Light Pollution on Wildlife: Amphibians as Models.” Department of Biology. Utica College, Utica, NY U.S.A. http://www.starlight2007.net/pdf/proceedings/SharonWise.pdf
Personal Interview
1.)Newman, Ed. Telephone Interview. February 25, 2010. Ohio University Recycling. (740)593-0231.
2.) Sharpe, Cindy. Telephone Interview. February 25, 2010. Athens/Hocking Solid Waste District. (740)797-4208.
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