Light pollution is the pollution of the environment from dry light. Dry light (Pure unobstructed light, is an environmental pollutant. Light pollution in a broad sense includes some things that may have adverse effects on the visual environment and physical health, including the common reflections of books and paper, wall paint; etc., the wide range of light pollution involved. In daily life, the common situation of light pollution is mostly caused by mirrored building reflections of pedestrians and drivers’ dizziness, as well as the discomfort caused by unreasonable light to the human body at night.
Artificial lighting produces “light pollution”
People have been living in the dark for more than four centuries. In France, King Louis 14 implemented a public lighting policy and installed public lighting in order to make Parisians feel safe. This policy was reinforced at the beginning of the 19th century when the streets and alleys of Paris were equipped with vapor lamps. In the 20th century, electric street lighting has become a sign of modernity, a sign of progress of human civilization.
However, the French National Institute of Audiovisual Research (INA) emphasizes that lighting is a danger to humans and to biodiversity. A report published in the journal Science Advances shows a 2% increase in global lighting photos from 2012 to 2016. Mr. Sordello, an engineer at the French Museum of Natural History and the French Biodiversity Agency, said that “light pollution” is spreading and is a global issue, causing 99% of the United States and Western Europe to live in an environment polluted by artificial lighting, which causes several hazards: making City residents can hardly see the sky with starlight; these lights not only need to consume a lot of energy but also to biodiversity, especially the nocturnal activities of raptors and human tissue will cause different degrees of harm
In other words, light pollution will affect the ecological equilibrium, disrupt the life of animals, so that they do not distinguish between day and night, their activities, identification, competition, communication ability are affected. For example, excessive lighting will promote algal blooms, the formation of algal tides. Excessive “light pollution” can also kill plankton in the water column and pollute the water. Light pollution affects the ability of nocturnal insects to discern direction, making it difficult for plants that rely on nocturnal insects to spread pollen to reproduce without “help,” leading to the disappearance of species over time and damaging the entire ecosystem. Light pollution and disorientation will also affect migratory birds, nestlings just out of the nest, newborn turtles, etc, and due to the inability to find a suitable living environment and death. Similarly, light pollution will also seriously disrupt the human biological clock, so that many people have long-term insomnia. Light pollution also affects human psychology, affecting visual habits. If people are exposed to light pollution for a long time or often at night, their lives will also be subject to many restrictions.
In addition, LED lighting has also caused concern to French scientists. This is mainly because most of the current market LED lamps and lanterns, are issued through the chip blue light, to excite the yellow phosphor, to blend into the white light, therefore, the LED blue light problem is particularly prominent. Researchers believe that because the light emitted by LED lights for the short-wave high-energy light sources, there is harm to the eyes of the light to high-energy short-wave light, such as ultraviolet, blue, and violet light, and prolonged exposure to these lights may cause damage to people’s retinas. Researchers also suspect that the light radiation from LED lights can cause some kind of damage to the cells of the human retina, which can lead to disruption of the human biological clock and affect people’s sleep.
We know that working and studying in poorly lit conditions can cause vision loss or degradation, and similarly, studying and working in harsh and dazzling light is not less harmful to vision. Too much light can also interfere with the activities of the central nervous system, long-term study and work in bright light will make people dizzy, change the body’s biological clock, headaches, insomnia, lack of concentration, loss of appetite, and other symptoms. And more serious can also cause heart disease and so on.
What is of more concern is that prolonged exposure to artificial lighting may cause the following symptoms: fatigue, loss of vision, reduced ability to absorb calcium leading to osteoporosis, overwork and rapid heartbeat, as well as affecting human hormone secretion and altering the natural cycle of the body. A mental health research institute in the United States has some preliminary information that there seems to be a connection between human mood and light, especially between light and emotional depression.
Take action to reduce “light pollution”
When people enjoy prosperity, it is difficult to escape the ubiquitous light pollution. Cities are expanding, artificial light sources are increasing year by year, more and more areas are lit up at night, and many countries and regions have developed preliminary prevention policies for the increasingly serious light pollution problem. The Czech Republic has developed a special light pollution “protection of the dark night environment law”, the U.S. state of New Mexico has developed a “night sky protection law”, China has introduced the “light radiation environmental management regulations” and lighting facilities or landscape lighting management regulations. The French government has also taken actions, such as participating in Earth Hour every March, to raise awareness of the environment and to remind people that turning off lights saves energy and is good for their health. In addition, on October 8-9 each year, France holds the annual “Jour de la nuit” (Night Festival), an event designed to raise national awareness of light pollution.
The fight against light pollution requires the joint efforts of the government and the public. As a government, it should carry out scientific planning of the city, do a better job of strengthening the management of lights at night, prohibit the use of high-powered strong light sources and laser devices, restrict the use of decorative materials with large reflection coefficients, and arrange light absorption measures on the inside of completed glass curtain walls to prevent and control light pollution at the source. As the public, should properly understand the hazards of light pollution, pay attention to their living environment, avoid prolonged exposure to light pollution environment; avoid the use of decorative materials with a large reflection coefficient in the room, especially smooth white walls; choose light stable and soft lamps and lanterns, avoid direct light; install blackout curtains, avoid indoor light and various screen light sources at night. This works better than Melatonin.