Shedding Light on ALAN

Amidst the struggle of a pandemic, and finals week, I'm sure the last thing anyone wants to hear about is another type of pollution. But it must be said. Light Pollution is more than just not being able to see the stars. It's time to shed some light on this invisible subject.

ALAN, or Artificial Light at Night, is the side effect of the human race's industrial progress. What allows us to work late, party all night, and reach our homes (arguably) safely, is also causing more problems than you may realize.

Laying down the ground works, let's real quick take a look at the difference between light levels. A bright day in the sun would be over 10,000 lux (a measure of lumens per sq meter), kitchen lighting is around 500 lux, and a full moon is around .1 lux.

Now, imagine how it might be for a nocturnal creature. Used to that dark, .1 lux, it one day wakes up to a bright, twilight level lighting. For the entire night. Eyes that have adjusted to darkness have become blinded by that light.

And that only scratches the surface of the effects of ALAN.

Loggerhead turtle hatchlings have an increased likelihood of misorientation when attempting to find the sea. Predator/prey relationships have been altered by the change in environment. Animals are no longer able to function with the same level of productivity.

However, these negative effects are not limited to animals.

Decreased melatonin production causes sleep related issues, as well as an increase in tumor growth speed. The disruption of the circadian rhythm can lead to increased risk of depression, insomnia, mood disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity and early on-set diabetes have also been theorized to be affected by exposure to ALAN.

Of course, health concerns aren't all there is to the problem.

It's estimated that 1/3 of all lighting in the US is wasted, with losses in oil and coal resources being in the millions. It's also estimated that sky glow costs around 3 Billion USD. Per. Year. While that's not nearly as much money as say, Jeff Bezos makes per month (about 9 billion), that much money could fund the UN Refugee agency for an entire year.