What is light pollution?
We all love light at night! But of course, sometimes artificial light can be excessive or obtrusive. When this happens, light can pollute our environment just like waste or noise or chemicals can.
For example, imagine a bright light from a gas station shining into your bedroom window all night long! This misdirected light not only trespasses on your property, it goes into the sky and probably annoys the animals even more than you!
Light pollution carries a real cost. In addition to washing out the night sky, it disrupts ecosystems, has adverse effects on safety, and reduces the aesthetic value of communities.
The good news? Light pollution is the easiest form of pollution to clean up. The place to start is with awareness and community action, starting with us in our own backyard!
(In the same way light pollution has costs, accessible night skies have value! Read about the value of dark skies.)
Watch our friends at Theodore Roosevelt National Park explain light pollution!
For more, check out the International Dark-skies Association website for information on light pollution.