Light pollution is a huge issue in today’s world, but why? Wait, what is light pollution? For those who do not know Britannica.com defines light pollution as: "unwanted or excessive artificial light. Like noise pollution, light pollution is a form of waste energy that can cause adverse effects and degrade environmental quality." In other words, people are using devices or technology too much and constant exposure to the lights have an effect on people. Another reason light pollution is a big problem is due to the fact that many animals are being misled by the city light, and some bird populations can go extinct because of light pollution. Bird populations will follow the moon's light to migrate, but because of the city lights being bright, birds will follow the city lights.
Ever had a difficult time falling asleep? Light pollution makes it hard for some people to sleep. This is because light can reduce melatonin and can even stop the production of melatonin. (Melatonin helps with sleeping.) Moreover, the reason you can barely see the stars at night is due to the light throughout the atmosphere brightening the night sky which makes it difficult to see the stars.
How can we fix this issue?
We can fix this issue by dimming the lights in the city and you may need to drive at night, but try to drive less at night. When the lights in your house are not being used, turn it off and it will help reduce your electricity bill. When you go to sleep make sure all your lights are off and if you go to sleep with the lights on, that is probably why your electricity bill is high. If you have kids that sleep with a night light that is okay and try to help them to get rid of the fear of the dark. The street lights can also be pointing down rather than pointing into the sky. You can also close your blinds, if you have the lights on and you blind open people can see into your house/apartment. There are many more ways to help fix this issue, but will you help to decrease light pollution?