Plastic packaging has got to go, and many Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) have already made the transition to sustainable materials for a more eco-friendly product. Not only are companies switching to more eco-friendly materials, but a new report also shows that 56% of CPGs are transitioning to new package formats to improve recycling.
Artificial lighting is not just a nuisance for stargazers — the harsh blue light produced by most artificial lights can have detrimental effects on surrounding ecosystems from disrupted circadian rhythms to complicating or even halting reproduction. For some species, like the firefly, the situation is even more dire as artificial lighting is one of the factors threatening their very existence.
Light pollution and overnight lighting have had measurable impacts on fauna across the world, from sea turtle nesting to the migration patterns of birds. A new study from the United Kingdom has shed some light on how unnatural illumination is affecting the world’s plants as well.
In data gathered from 1999 to 2011, a number of tree species exposed to artificial lighting were found to bud five to seven days earlier than their counterparts not exposed to artificial lights.
Light pollution causes more harm than simply ruining the view during a starry night. A new study has found that clownfish can’t raise any young when exposed to artificial light.
The study observed 10 pairs of clownfish, with each pair in their own tank. Half of the clownfish couples experienced light as they would in a natural coral reef, with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
The other half of the clownfish were exposed to a low level of artificial light at night to mimic the light pollution from an average coastal town.
Twice a year more than 5 million birds from at least 250 different species fly through the city of Chicago alone as they head toward Canada in the spring and return south toward Central and South America in the fall. Though beautiful, the Windy City’s skyline can prove fatal to a number of birds who collide with glass-covered or illuminated buildings.
Studies have estimated at least 100 million bird deaths related to light pollution in cities throughout the United States per year, and some estimates put that number closer to one billion deaths per year.
Mauna Kea is one of the most important locations in the astronomy world. Located on the main island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea is a million-year-old dormant volcano. With its peak reaching 13,803 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea is the world’s tallest volcano, making it the perfect spot to host some of the greatest telescope and astronomical observatories ever created.
Twice a year more than 5 million birds from at least 250 different species fly through the city of Chicago alone as they head toward Canada in the spring and return south toward Central and South America in the fall. Though beautiful, the Windy City’s skyline can prove fatal to a number of birds who collide with glass-covered or illuminated buildings.
Studies have estimated at least 100 million bird deaths related to light pollution in cities throughout the United States per year, and some estimates put that number closer to one billion deaths per year.
Although the use of blue light is an excellent solution to provide environmentally friendly lighting, it also poses a large number of health risks and disadvantages for humans. Before the creation of artificial lighting, overexposure to blue light was never an issue. Now, thanks to newer lighting technologies, our evenings and nights are flooded with illumination. As a result, excessive quantities of blue light and poor lighting, in general, can pose threats such as:
If you don’t actively stay up-to-date with developments in the lighting industry or international news, you may have missed the recent ban on halogen lighting in Europe. On September 1st, 2018, the use of halogen light bulbs was banned by the European Union. All halogen light bulbs are now prohibited and will be substituted with environmentally-conservative, energy-efficient light-emitting diode technology and compact fluorescent bulbs.
Through the incessant growth of both infrastructure and global human population, use of outdoor and city lighting has exploded. While most cities have prioritized effective lighting above all else, they have neglected the harmful impacts associated with light pollution. The most notable of these impacts: the encroached natural environment. We hope to go over what light pollution is, how it harms humanity, as well as which environments and animals are most affected.