ARE we losing the night? Sometimes I get an overwhelming feeling that this phenomenon is actually taking place. As soon as the sun goes down in urban areas, the lights are switched on. I have noticed for some time now that the nights are growing brighter and more extensive.

I think this is so because being artificial light it has an impact on the environment. In support of my contention, I would like to point out that recent satellite images have revealed that earth’s artificially lit area is growing by more than two per cent every year. These statistics may vary from country to country, but overall our night-time world is brightening.

The research expected the brightness in the wealthiest nations to fade by a few degrees as they switched from sodium lamps to LEDs (light-emitting diode) which do not appear as bright on the satellite view.

It is a great surprise that from 2012 to 2016, many rich nations remained just as bright, and urban bright spots in the United Kingdom and Europe grew even brighter. On the other hand in some developing nations brightness increased dramatically in night time between 2012 and 2016.

The research also reveals that the bluer light from LEDs can affect our sleep as well as our health.

What is alarming is the fact that environment can be adversely affected if there is a change in the behaviour of nocturnal animals owing to such lighting. This in turn could ultimately lead to a shift in some of our planet’s seasonal patterns.

Therefore prudence dictates that it is time to turn down the lights.

Attah Azad Nodizi
Turbat

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2020