Artificial Lighting - Light pollution and the side effects it creates

clemence · 2019-07-14T23:45:51.000Z

Started with this thread: blue light associated with prostate and breast cancer
I realized how we have messed up our tiny planet since the invention of the light bulb. Many researchers point us to all the bad effects all artificial lighting creates to us and this planet, especially from the blue (purple and violet included) light leaked from any LED light source. While it might be true, to me, the root of the problem is the artificial light itself. Now, we almost never exposed to pitch dark environment. Naturally, when the sun goes down, all diurnal creatures would stop their activity. We invented campfire, then light bulb, and now LED. Night time doesn’t stop us anymore.

Please take your time watching this video. It’s my favourite channel for reasons:

I’m no expert in this field nor an internet data compiler, but I have proposals for our situation:

- Limit public lighting to a minimum. And that also means only to use just enough brightness for people to see.

- If the blue light really a concern then switch all public lighting CCT down to as low as practically feasible. This could be counterproductive since warmer CCTs are less efficient. Switching back to LPS (Low Pressure Sodium) could be the answer until more efficient low CCT LED commercially available.

- This is my favorite suggestion: Educate people to use flashlight instead of installing too many public lights. This practice is common in undeveloped areas where people still walk with their flashlight/lantern through the dark.

Develop red/orange pump LED with blue phosphor. It’s the opposite of what we use today: blue pump LED with yellow/green/red phosphor.

I’m happy I live in an island which still experience almost complete darkness once a year. I can still see milky way and those stars with naked eye.

[Clemence]

Pavlo · 2019-07-15T02:41:10.000Z

Great video, thanks for sharing.

I can say with certainty that I struggle to sleep when staying up late on my computer or watching TV. The effect of blue light makes sense.

Having experienced the night sky in the dark wilderness, there is no better feeling and it would be so great to see city and urban lighting both diminished and used more effectively to avoid polluting the sky with uneccessary light.

Now strictly using 3000k cct Flashlights when it’s close to bedtime.