Light Pollution by cestomano

Research into the effects of artificial lighting on human circadian rhythms has shown increasing incidents of fatigue, depression and lowered immunity. Clearly humans are not well adapted to the new pressures of the 24-hour workplace. Disruptions in lighting also cause problems with Growth Hormone (GH) and melatonin levels which seriously affect how our bodies age and fight cancers. But perhaps more dramatically, any disturbance of cortisol can cause stress, high blood pressure and obesity, indicating that “light pollution”  has completely altered our experience of the environment on both aesthetic (e.g. luminous fog)  and biological levels:

“Light intrusion, even if dim, is likely to have measurable effects on sleep disruption and melatonin suppression. Even if these effects are relatively small from night to night, continuous chronic circadian, sleep and hormonal disruption may have longer-term health risks”

In a statement from the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), the use of bluish-white outdoor lighting increasingly threatens human and animal life. While Philips Dynamic Lighting is an attempt to counteract the effects of static lighting scenarios, responsibility for population health must surely reside with city planning departments and ultimately Government.

Lockley, S., “Blinded by the Light?” (CfDS handbook, 2009)