Artificial Light At Night - Joe Frannea - Volunteer Southern Arizona Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association - Southern Arizona Chapter ...
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Artificial Light
At Night
Joe Frannea - Volunteer
Southern Arizona Chapter of the
International Dark-Sky Association
April 2019
Unintended
Consequences
From Artificial Light At
Night (ALAN)
ALAN Scientists Meet Annually
IDA Founded 1988
In Tucson - 501(C)(3) Corporation
David Crawford Tim Hunter
31
Years of
Success
1,000’s Active Supporters All Over The World
About 63 Chapters located in 18 Countries
Our IDA Growth Enablers
• Astronomy (started-1988)
Professional & Amateur
• Lighting Industry (commercial)
New Products Yielding New Markets
• Environment
Wildlife, Plant Life, Human Health, Safety
• Energy Conservation (current driver)
States, Cities, Businesses, Individuals
Topics Today Include:
ALAN & Light Pollution
• Astronomy
• Plant Life
• Wildlife
• Human Health
• Safety & Security
• Outdoor Lighting Codes
Presenting - Other People’s Work/ Research
Our Lack of
Understanding About
ALAN
NEED MORE EDUCATION
• We Are So Human Centric
• Lacking Scientific Information
• Lacking Research – Takes $
• Using Empirical Information (after fact)
The World is Very Different
at Night These Past 100+ Years
Why Does it Matter? Because:
• More animals are nocturnal than diurnal
• Natural darkness as important as daytime
• All living things have biological clocks
(circadian rhythms, free run at 21 to 27 hr. cycles)
Electric Light Bulb
Thomas Edison 1880
“Unintended Consequences”
George Westinghouse
Electricity Transmission
The World at Night Mostly Light Shining Upwards Becoming More Like Daytime
The USA at Night
More Like Daytime $2B/Yr.
Wasted!
250,000
24 Telescopes – 56 Miles SW of Tucson ‘59 Pima Cty. Pop.
‘80
500,000
‘03
900,000
Catalina & Tortolita Mtns
’03 larger viewAstronomy
More Astronomers &
Scopes in Southern AZ
$500M
Optics & Astronomy
Business AZ/Year
MMT – Mt. Hopkins
Green Valley AreaLight Direction Matters
ALL Living Things Have Circadian Rhythms
ALL Living Things Have Circadian Rhythms
Amount of Light Required
Varies by Plant
One study showed a one second light at night
caused the plant not to bloom
Some growers and florists control the Light to
delay of force bloomsPlankton
Microscopic Plants and Animals
“Start of the Food Chain”
Coastlines Have Biggest Concentration of Animals including
Humans and Have the Huge Amounts of Light Pollution
Phytoplankton Zooplankton
• Artificial Light at Night, one Impact • Light up to 100 Meters
More Growth, but Less Nutritious Deep Affects their Vertical
• Growth Totally Dependent Biomass Movements
on Photosynthesis • Display a Strong Light-
Escape ResponseWildlife
It’s Not East to Survive, and We are Not Helping!
• When to mate, migrate, hibernate
• Food sources for migration (early blooms)
• What season is it, natural environment
• Interactions, other animals, plants
• Avoid lit areas, taking their habitat
• Our pleasures seem to trump their habitat
(landscape lighting, floodlights, lit bridges/buildings, etc.)Migrating Birds • Hundreds of species migrate at night • Artificial light and fires attract birds and they can’t seem to break away • Sky Glow can cause disorientation • Lit buildings, towers, signs can cause fatal collisions, fog/clouds causes them to fly lower • Populations are declining throughout the world, lights are one major factor
Bird Navigation/Migration
Where are My Constellations?
What Messed-up My Biological Clock?
Where are My Landmarks?
Los Angeles:
Bird Collisions - Buildings
193 birds every 60 seconds
FLAP.orgSea Turtles • Mortality due to artificial lighting is well documented for hatchlings - Florida • Hatchling must find sea quickly, not condos • Strict lighting regulations adopted - Education! • Females, 35+ Yrs. first clutch where they born • Lit areas vs. nesting areas documented (satellites)
Fish • Coastal zones, lakes, streams, ponds and rivers all impacted by lights – over half world population lives within 50 miles • Light (attracts), temperature and structures greatly effect aquatic organisms • Behaviors - Feeding, Schooling, Migration, Spawning, Predation depend on specific light intensities
Insects • Critically Important Pollinators especially moths for night bloomers • Flight-to-Light Behavior – can’t navigate around lights • “Vacuum Cleaner” Effect – sucked out of habitat, depletes local populations • Some won’t mate in lighted conditions • Use yellow bulbs to minimize attraction
“Ecological Armageddon ?” • German Study - Biomass of Flying Insects Decreased More Than 75% Over the 27-Year Study Period • Credible Evidence that Light Pollution is a Contributor • Half of All Insect Species are Nocturnal
One Reason to Keep Outdoor
Lights OFF – Especially ALL Night
Lights attract bugs
(Including kissing bugs)
Bugs attract lizards +
Lizards attract snakes
“Don’t Create Your
Own Ecosystem”Human Health
• EPA
Light Pollution is a Pollutant
• AMA (2012)
Excessive Nighttime Lighting Disrupts Essential
Processes and can Create Potentially Harmful
Health Effects and Hazardous Situations.
Can Be a Carcinogen –Shift WorkersDark Sleep is
.
Critically
Important!
8 to 10 Hours
• Produces Proper Levels of Melatonin (fights diseases)
• REM Sleep – Sort, File, Store Information (Billions/Day)
• Cramming All Night May Be Counterproductive
• Repairs Cells
• Produces Hormones for Metabolism and DevelopmentCircadian Rythems
TV
“Jet Lag”Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders Can Be In The Form Of: • More Sleep Problems • Fatigue • Forgetfulness • Performance Problems • Gastrointestinal Problems • More Accidents and Injuries • Risk of Cardiovascular Disease • Type-2 Diabetes • Some Types Cancer
Cancer Risks
Several High-Quality Studies
• Female Shift-Workers – 50% Higher Breast Cancer Risk
(also includes female flight attendants – lots of jet lag)
• Similar findings for Colorectal Cancer Risk in Women
and for Prostate Cancer in Men
• Low levels of Melatonin, cancer can grow 8 times faster
Correlation: Industrialization, more lights, more problems?
- lots more research to come -
Dr. Stevens
Dr. BlaskBLUE RICH LED Light Can Be Very Harmful
Choosing a Light Bulb Read the Package Label
Your Safety
Brighter Does Not Mean Safer
Unshielded
Good visibility is the goal.
Photos © George Fleenor
© International Dark-Sky AssociationBrighter Does Not Mean Safer
Unshielded
Good visibility is the goal.
Photos © George Fleenor
© International Dark-Sky Association
Add a Shield
“Movie Theater Effect”Brightly Lit Walkway With Shadows
Person Steps Into a Shadow – False Security
A Driving Hazard Glare and Light Trespass Bad Transition Lighting A Much Better Gas Way Too Much Light Station Canopy Design!
Outdoor Lighting Codes
Pima County, City of Tucson,
Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita
Some of the Important Codes
• Total Lumens Allowed Are Based On Lot Space Occupied
(PC Lighting Zone 3A 39,000L total, 9,000L unshielded/acre)
• Lumens from An Unshielded Fixture Max of 3,000
• Unshielded Floods Must Be Aimed 45 Degrees Or Lower
• Color Temperature Of Bulb Must Be 3500K Or Lower
• Commercial Unshielded Lights Must Be Off By 11 PMLight Pollution is a
SERIOUS Issue
It’s Easy to HELP. . .
Just Share Your Knowledge
And Control Your Light!
Joe Frannea
Web: sa-ida.orgYou can also read
