>> LIGHT POLLUTION IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE GIVEN MUCH
THOUGHT TO OR EVEN BEEN AWARE OF, BUT SOME SCIENTISTS SAY IT'S
A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COMES WITH REAL HEALTH CONCERNS.
I SAT DOWN WITH JAMES LOWENTHAL, SMITH COLLEGE PROFESSOR OF
ASTRONOMY, TO LEARN MORE.
>> LIGHT POLLUTION IS EXCESSIVE LIGHT AT NIGHT FROM LIGHTS THAT
ARE POORLY DESIGNED OR TOO BRIGHT OR TOO BLUE THAT CAST
LIGHT OUT WHERE IT IS NOT EXPECT TO GO AND IT CAUSES HASH.
>> WHAT KIND OF HARM DOES CAUSE?
>> HARM TO HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY, NORMAL WILDLIFE AND ROBS
US OF A NATURALLY DARK NIGHT SKY THAT INCLUDE US THE STARS AND
THE MILKYWAY, WHICH 80% OF AMERICANS CAN'T SEE ANY MORE
BECAUSE OF LIGHT POLLUTION.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HARM TO HEALTH, WHAT KINDS OF EFFECTS
WOULD PEOPLE NOTICE?
>> IT TURNS OUT ALL ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS, WHICH EVOLVED
ON AN EARTH SPINNING 24-HOURS, HAVE EVOLVED DEPENDING ON
DARKNESS AT NIGHT.
WE NEED A GOOD DARK NIGHT TO SLEEP.
SLEEP PROFESSIONALS SAY ALL THE TIME, IF YOU WANT TO SLEEP WELL
NO LIGHTS.
THE SAME THING FOR ALL ANIMALS.
AS A RESULT, NOW WITH THE LIGHT POLLUTION, OUR CITIES AND
COMMUNITIES ARE FLOODED WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS, MOST ALL NIGHT
LONG, A LOT OF TIMES SEEPING INTO YOUR BEDROOM WINDOWS AT
NIGHT, WE'RE DEPRIVED OF A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP AND A WHOLE HOST
OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS, EVEN CANCER, CAN BE EXACERBATED BY
HORMONE PROBLEMS THAT ARE LINKED TO LIGHT POLLUTION.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SOLUTION IS FOR THIS.
BECAUSE PEOPLE GO OUT AT NIGHT, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE, IF
THEY'RE GOING OUT DOWNTOWN SOMEWHERE.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE CASE THAT THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED.
>> THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
IT IS FORTUNATELY SO EASY.
IT IS A LOCAL PROBLEM WITH A LOCAL SOLUTION.
EVERY CITY, EVERY TOWN IS IN CONTROL OF ITS OWN LIGHTING, AND
IT IS UNLIKE CLIMATE CHANGE OR AIR POLLUTION OR WATER POLLUTION
WHICH TENDS TO BE REGIONAL OR EVEN GLOBAL ON SCALE, AND A
SINGLE TOWN OR COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE NO HOPE OF ACTUALLY FIXING
IT.
HERE, ANY CITY, SPRINGFIELD, NORTHAMPTON, ANYBODY CAN MAKE
ITS OPEN DECISIONS AND SAFEGUARD ITS OWN POPULATION AND PROTECT
ITS OWN WILDLIFE AND BRING BACK THE VIEW OF THE STARS OVER HEAD.
>> HOW DO YOU DO THAT WHAT DOES THE INDUSTRY TO DO?
>> WE DON'T NEED AS MUCH LIGHT AS MOST CITIES HAVE TO HAVE.
IT USED TO BE IN THE OLD DALES, PEOPLE PLAN THEIR TRAVEL AROUND
THE LIGHT OF THE FULL MOON.
THE FULL MOON IS BRIGHT ENOUGH FOR MOST PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR
WAY TRAVELING.
NOW A TYPICAL STREET LIGHT IS 50 OR 100 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN THAT,
AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
WE SO MANY STREET LATES AND SO MANY BUSINESS LIGHTS, SO MANY
PORCH LIGHTS, ALL OF THEM SUPER BRIGHT, SHINING OUT IN ALL
DIRECTIONS, EVEN UP INTO THE SKY.
AND BLUE LIGHT IS ESPECIALLY BAD FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND ANIMALS AND
ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE NEXTED BY MORE INDICATE DESIGN
AND SIMPLE CALLS SOME CITIES AND STATES HAVE ALREADY PUT INTO
EFFECT.
>> DO YOU THINK IT IS A HARD SELL, WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE
ABOUT THIS.
THEY MAY SAY WE HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND THIS DOESN'T SEEM
TO BE PRIORITY.
HOW TO YOU MAKE THE CASE TO NORTHAMPTON OR SPRINGFIELD.
>> SURE, THE CASE, I THINK, THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO FIX
LIGHT POLLUTION AND NO REASON NOT TO.
IT IS A PURE WIN/WIN.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BE GAINED FROM SPENDING EXTRA MONEY
AND MAKING EXTRA POLLUTION TO MAKE EXTRA LIGHT THAT DOESN'T DO
ANY GOOD.
HOW DOES THAT HELP?
IT DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY IT DOCUMENT BENEFIT ANYBODY, IT IS
HARMFUL.
WE'RE PAYING BILLS TO CURE PEOPLE'S ILLNESSES OR ADDRESS
THEIR CANCER.
THERE IS NOBODY WHO HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED IN SOME WAY BY BREAST
CANCER OR PROSTATE CANCER.
THOSE ARE HORMONAL CANCERS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY LIGHT
POLLUTION.
THIS IS CONFIRMED BY MAJOR STUDY WHY YOUS, INCLUDING HARVARD,
DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS WHO STUDIED 100,000 NURSES AND FOUND
THAT THE ONES WHO LIVED IN LIGHT POLLUTED AREAS HAVE A
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATE OF BREAST CANCER THAN THOSE INTO
DARK AREAS AND ACTUALLY THERE ARE FINANCIAL REASONS.
WHEN YOU ASK, IS IT A HARD SELL, SURE, PEOPLE OFTEN SAY, WELL, WE
CAN'T HAVE NO LIGHT, THAT'S FINE, WE'RE NOT SAYING DON'T
HAVE NO LIGHT, WE'RE SAYING HAVE BETTER LIGHT WE WILL DON'T NEED
MORE LIGHT, BETTER LIGHT.
THE LIGHT SHOULD GO DOWN ONLY.
I WON'T TURNING THE CUP OVER, IT IS FULL OF WATER.
IMAGINE UPSIDE DOWN IF LIGHT WERE INSIDE THERE AND SHINING
DOWN ONLY THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.
INSTEAD OF SHINING OUT WARDS.
NOT THOUSANDS OF TIME OF THE FULL MOON BILL 10 OR 50 TIMES AT
THE MOST.
>> WHAT MADE YOUD A YOU ADV.
>> LIGHT POLLUTION IS GROWING 2% A YEAR, GLOBALLY WISH FAR
OUTPACES POPULATION GROWTH.
IT CONTINUES TO CREEP UP AND UP AND YOU CAN SEE MAPS OF LIGHT
POLLUTION CREEPING OUT INTO EVEN THE DARKEST AREAS IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS.
SO IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES AND DECADES BUT IT IS
GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.
IT IS ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE VERY SERIOUS
EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH AND WILDFIRE THAT IT IS COMING MORE
-- WIFE THAN IS COMING MORE AND MORE INTO THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUS
AND THERE IS A GROWING MOVEMENT TO TURN BACK IN TIDE.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU'RE MAKING FLAKS MASSACHUSETTS AS YOU TALK
TO LAWMAKERS AND CITY OFFICIALS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS A TERRIFIC ORGANIZATION CALLED THE INTERNATIONAL DARK
SKY ASSOCIATION, WE HAVE A LOCAL CHAPTER IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT
HAS BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST YEAR PLUS TO HELP THE STATE
ADOPT A NEW DARK SKY FRIENDLY BILL, AND THAT BILL IS WORKING
ITS WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW IT HAS A 24
CO-SPONSORS AROUND THE STATE, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL STATE
SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE IN NORTHAMPTON AND SEVERAL OTHERS
HERE IN WESTERN WAS WAS.
IT HAS BROAD SUPPORT, NO OPPOSITION, AND IT MAKES GOOD
SENSE.
IT WILL SAVE THE STATE AND TOWNS MONEY.
IT WILL IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, IT WILL IMPROVE THEIR SAFETY, IT
WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR WILDLIFE AND IT WILL BRING BACK THE VIEW
OF THE STARS PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE.
>> ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING, HATE GOING DOWN
THOSE DARK DARK ROADS WHEN T IS NO LIGHT.
YOU NEED LIGHT FOR A SAFETY REASON.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT HAS BEEN TO UP TO THE POINT YOU FEEL IT IS
REALLY A PROBLEM.
>> IT IS A COMBINATION OF TWO THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, MY FEELING, PROBABLY INNATE, MAKE GENETIC
FEAR OF THE DARK AND A KNEE-S JERK RESPONSE TO THAT, WHICH IS
MORE LIGHT, AND IT IS JUST LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION ABOUT
THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS, THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LIGHT
POLLUTION.
IF MOST PEOPLE KNEW THEIR PORCH LIGHT WAS KILLING POLLINATING
INSECTS WHICH ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR FOOD CHAIN AND ECOSYSTEMS
THAN SERIOUS DECLINE, MAYBE THEY WOULD MAKE DAY.
CHOICE.
INSTEAD OF A PORCH LIGHT THAT SENDS LATE ALL OVER THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WOULD SEPTEMBER LIGHT STRAIGHT ON THE STEPS
WHERE IT IS USEFUL.
CITY GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT WHAT
STREET LIGHTS TO REPLACE THEIR OLD STREET LIGHTS WITH, IF THEY
JUST KNEW THAT IT IS ACTUALLY SAFER FOR DRIVERS TO HAVE THE
LIGHT IF DOWN ONLY INSTEAD OF OUT AND TO HAVE THE LIGHT BE A
MOVE AMBER COLOR THAN IT A VERY BLARING BLUE COLOR, THEY WOULD
PROBABLY MAKE THAT CHOICE.
BULL THE WORD IS SLOW TO GET OUT, AND THAT'S THE JOB OF US
ADVOCATES.
>> ARE THERE ANY SERB AREAS IN THE NORTHEAST THAT ARE MORE
VULNERABLE VULNERABLE THAN OTHERS.
>> EVERYTHING IS VULNERABLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE NOT
CHANGED THE OLD STREET LIGHTS INTO LED LIGHTS.
THE COLORS ARE FINE, THEY COME IN ALL COLORS, BUT THE ADVANTAGE
OF LEDs IS THEY'RE GENERALLY LONG LASTING VERB DO YOU
REMEMBERABLE AND HIGH EPHISH SEE, SO THERE IS A HUGE MOVEMENT
NOW TO REPLACE OLD -- THE SORT OF PINK YELLOW HIGH-PRESSURE
SODIUM STREET LIGHTS WE YOU A ALL GREW UP, WITH REPLACE
THOSE WITH LED STREET LIGHTS BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE THEM
CAREFULLY SO THE LIGHT GOES DOWN ONLY.
CITIES AND TOWNS THAT HAVE NOT DONE THAT YET SHOULD REALLY
PAUSE AND NOT RUSH INTO EARLY ADOPTING BAD LIGHTS WHEN THERE
ARE GOOD LIGHTS AVAILABLE.