Over the past 2 months or so, we have been through a rollercoaster ride of learning about light pollution. Together, we have explored the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on aquatic environments and its organisms, animals and even us, humans. One of my key takeaways is that environmental pollution need not solely involve tangible and intangible contaminants such as plastics or air pollutants respectively. It is the silent killers like light that might do the most harm because of its extensive exposure and the low awareness of its many harms. Furthermore, the delayed effects of artificial lighting makes it harder to imagine the harm that it might bring us.
On a positive note, approaching the management of light pollution is seemingly more feasible and achievable than other forms of pollution. Not only are there a multitude of innovative solutions available, the issue of light such as its intensity, glare, or trespass can be mitigated directly as long as action is implemented to fix it. Yet, despite the simplicity of the solution, we see that many cities continue glowing vibrantly in the night sky. This suggests that rather than focusing on inventing new solutions, focusing on removing the barriers to solution implementation might prove to be more beneficial.
In particular, we need to start caring about light pollution. Not only are lights perceived to reflect the national development status of a country, lights also tend to carry celebratory connotations and are hence welcome by many. An essential part of the solution is hence to tackle such perceptions. There needs to be greater awareness of the harms of light pollution on our bodies and the environment around us that connects the problem of light to the concerns of people. This might take different forms for different people. A simple example is how Jean is deeply interested in the effects of light on the natural world while I was more invested in learning about its effects on humans.
As people begin to care, there also needs to be a trigger to overcome the inertia of doing nothing. It is here where innovative solutions come to play. Be it tapping on existing communities to engage people such as golf communities that we previously discussed, or technological advances that makes it convenient for people to make changes from homes, instinctive solutions are needed to get people involved. Subsequently, as dark-sky communities grow, it becomes more probable that people get involved in signing petitions to push for legal changes.
With that said, whether light management in the city begins with ground-up or top-down changes, it is essential that everyone — everyday citizens, business organisations and the state play their part. Just as ordinary citizens might not have control over the lights on the streets, the state too does not have control over how its citizens use their light. With that, I conclude my final post with warm thanks for following me through this journey! Let’s strive to be mindful of our light usage!
Farewell!
Trudie