It has been a great time discovering and learning about the impacts of light pollution on humans and animals as well as possible solutions to prevent and counteract the effects of light pollution. On the whole, I was glad that we chose to focus on the topic of light pollution. Compared to other forms of pollution like water and air pollution, light pollution is often overlooked, and even perceived as…
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…
Globally, the firefly population has been under threat because of familiar subjects such as urbanisation and habitat loss as well as increasing use of pesticides, however, more recent studies have attributed the decrease in firefly population with artificial light at night (ALAN) (Dunham, 2020). One of the main impacts that ALAN has on these fireflies are its effects on the mating process. As seen from the comic above, fireflies are…
The West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito borne virus, first occurred on the US East Coast in 1999. Since then, the disease has transmitted across the entire country in just a few years, infecting not just humans, but animals such as birds and horses as shown in the figure below. The WNV spreads to people via the bite of an infected mosquito and can cause fevers, body aches, rashes, diarrhea,…
Ever notice the reddish orange clouds at night that look something like this? While most of us would associate the colour of the clouds with the setting of the sun, it’s time to think again. Research have shown that the redness in these clouds shows the interaction of clouds with sky glow from cities. With increased cloud cover, long-wave red light radiation from cities that are usually emitted into space…
“Thus hath the candle songs the moath” -Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Just like the quote above, more commonly known today as the phrase “like a moth drawn to a flame”, light pollution can result in increased mortality for moths as these nocturnal creatures often fly into urban light sources. Through direct burning or increased exposure to predators, their attraction to light can be fatal. Take a look at the…
As we commute home after a long day of work or school, perhaps this will be the view that most of us see. In a developed city like Singapore, we rely heavily on street lamps to light our roads and ensure the safety of pedestrian and drivers. However, what we might not see is the figure below, the fact that the light emitted from street lamps, especially if poorly illuminated,…
Now on to a topic that I’m sure is one that is close to our hearts, let’s take a look at the global pandemic of Covid-19 and its relation to light pollution. In the video below, we see a glimpse of a more positive impact that this pandemic has on people, particularly the star gazers. With global productions coming to a slow down and more and more people spending time…
