2 months ago
- Haleakalā National Park offers one of the darkest skies on Earth, ideal for astronomy tours led by Serena Wurmser, who emphasizes the stars as a universal connection.
- Light pollution affects 99% of Americans, causing the sky to brighten 10% annually, with artificial light reaching even remote natural areas like Death Valley and Haleakalā.
- Health consequences of light pollution include sleep disturbances, depression, obesity, diabetes, and a 14% increased breast cancer risk as shown in a Harvard study.
- Artificial light at night (ALAN) creates 'evolutionary traps' for animals like sea turtles mistaking hotel lights for the moon, leading to fatal collisions with cars.
- Dung beetles lose navigational ability under light pollution, causing collisions and fights, contributing to insect decline and 'temporal disorientation.'
- Light pollution is often driven by unplanned, excessive outdoor lighting (e.g., unshielded bulbs, 'glare bombs'), far outpacing population growth.
- Solutions include DarkSky's five principles: useful, targeted, low-level, controlled, and warm-colored lighting, plus municipal adoption of maximum brightness standards.
- Fear of the dark is primal, but lighting does not necessarily reduce crime; criminals can benefit from light, and studies show no causal link between lighting and crime decrease.
- Dark sky advocates are working to restore natural darkness through education, astrotourism, and policy changes, highlighting the beauty and cultural value of the night sky.