Introduction
Although it may seem like a very minor thing, light pollution can and does have major impacts on our environment. Be sure to read the full edition of this blog to learn more about this interesting environmental topic!
Impacts
Light pollution has a significant impact on different types of animals. This pollution can attract or deter certain species from certain areas resulting from the increased amount of light around an area. This can confuse animals and end up destroying ecosystems through altering their behavior in a wide variety of different ways.
Light pollution can also have a major impact on an animal’s circadian rhythm which is an animal’s internal biological clock that regulates things such as their sleep schedules, metabolism, hormone production, and more.
Light pollution does not only have an impact on land animals, but it also has major impacts on marine life as well. This can particularly impact coastal ecosystems near large cities and can disrupt animals such as sea turtles which rely on light when engaging in activities such as hatching eggs or constructing a nest. This is particularly important to understand considering many types of sea turtles are endangered so protecting them is incredibly important.
Causes
With street lights, bright cities, etc. it is guaranteed that there will be some amount of light pollution. With that being said, there are some ways to reduce light pollution while still being able to keep our cities and streets lit. According to the National Park Service, one effective approach is to orient street and other lights downward instead of upward. This practice minimizes the upward projection of light, thereby mitigating light pollution overall.
Conclusion
Light has a major effect on our environment. We hope that you were able to learn more about this and although Highlands Environmental Solutions does not offer any services directly correlated to light pollution, we are committed to make the world a better place through the services we offer. To learn more about these feel free to reach out to info@hesnc.com or click the link below!
www.highlandsenvironmental.com
