Light pollution occurs when artificial light (such as those from street lights, commercial buildings, and electric lighting) disrupts the natural light that illuminates our environment and obscures the night sky. Did you know that not only can light pollution harm our view of the stars, but it can also have adverse effects on our health? In fact, it may be the worst kind of pollution we face! Learn more about how light pollution affects us and how we can help prevent it from happening in the future.
How does light pollution affect us?
A huge number of people live in urban areas, which are often the most light-polluted areas. Those who live in urban areas are more likely to experience negative health effects because they're exposed to more light pollution than rural populations. Light pollution can have an effect on sleep quality and mental health, as well as disrupt ecosystems and reduce visibility.
The WHO has declared that universal health care is a fundamental human right, so it's important that we work towards providing a healthy environment that is free from pollution.
Is it really dangerous for our health?
Streetlights, automobile headlights, and neon signs are all present everywhere. And as light pollution spreads, these artificial lights are penetrating the night sky more and more, obscuring the grandeur of nature at night. In addition to obscuring our ability to view the stars at night, artificial light has been demonstrated to interfere with sleep cycles and negatively affect nocturnal species, which can be detrimental to our health. With so many light pollution sources in our surroundings today, it's critical that we take action to lessen their negative effects on our health. Utilizing universal healthcare strategies that support healthy surroundings and implementing healthy construction practices with less detrimental consequences on both human health and climate change are ideal places to start.
What cities have the highest light pollution in the world?
High amounts of light pollution are present in the world's most populous cities. There aren't many stars in the sky, and it's nearly hard to view the Milky Way with all the artificial light around. In fact, recent research indicated that one-third of all humans on Earth reside in areas with skies so bright they are unable to view the Milky Way at all. The cities with the worst light pollution are listed below:
- New York City, United States
- Paris, France
- Hong Kong, China
- Tokyo, Japan
- Los Angeles, United States
How can we be protected from light pollution?
One way to reduce light pollution is through universal health care. The availability of resources and knowledge needed to keep a healthy environment in one's home would be guaranteed by universal health care. Additionally, universal healthcare would ease the tension and anxiety that come with thinking about how to pay for high energy costs, which can be a major issue in low-income areas. People in rural areas might lack access to universal healthcare, but they may still safeguard themselves by putting solar panels on their roofs, tree planting around their homes, avoiding using high-energy appliances, turning off lights late at night if they aren't essential, using less power during peak times, taking shorter showers or switching off the water whilst brushing their teeth, and taking shorter showers (such as electric dryers).
How do you know if your city suffers from light pollution?
Light pollution is a result of artificial lighting.
Identifying the types of artificial lighting in your city is the first step in
figuring out whether or not light pollution affects it. There is some light
pollution in your city if you use conventional incandescent or fluorescent
lighting. A city will suffer greatly from light pollution if it has a large
number of LED lights. The distance between the lamps, their height, and their
brightness are other elements that affect light pollution.
