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#lightpollution

7 posts7 participants0 posts today
Public
Richard

"Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and properties is of critical importance for daily life and cultural continuity. The erasure of the night sky acts to erase Indigenous connection to the stars, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide."

Whitening the Sky: light pollution as a form of cultural genocide
arxiv.org/abs/2001.11527

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arXiv.orgWhitening the Sky: light pollution as a form of cultural genocideLight pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars. Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and properties is of critical importance for daily life and cultural continuity. The erasure of the night sky acts to erase Indigenous connection to the stars, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide. Efforts to reduce, minimise, or eliminate light pollution are being achieved with varying degrees of success, but urban expansion, poor lighting design, and the increased use of blue-light emitting LEDs as a cost-effective solution is worsening problems related to human health, wildlife, and astronomical heritage for the benefit of capitalistic economic growth. We provide a brief overview of the issue, illustrating some of the important connections that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia maintain with the stars, as well as the impact growing light pollution has on this ancient knowledge. We propose a transdisciplinary approach to solving these issues, using a foundation based on Indigenous philosophies and decolonising methodologies.
#LightPollution#NightSky
Public
Dr. John Barentine FRAS

“Using photometric and spectroscopic sensors, we observed up to 50% night sky darkening during Earth Hour from 2011 to 2024 in Hong Kong, primarily as a result of a small but critical number of lights-out instances in central business districts, as evidenced by crowd-sourced photography records. The emission reductions mostly occurred in the 445–500, 500–540, and 615–650 nm spectral ranges---corresponding to peak emissions from LED billboard screens--- and in the 585–595 nm range, associated with metal halide floodlights used for facades and billboards. Our study identifies these sources as major contributors to urban light pollution.”

(Note: not yet peer reviewed, but the authors are legit.)

researchsquare.com/article/rs-

www.researchsquare.comUrban night sky is drastically lit up by a few decorative buildings: Natural experiments from Earth HourLight pollution, an underappreciated environmental issue, has gained attention in recent years. While controlling light pollution requires sustained efforts, Earth Hour offers a unique natural experimental setting to assess temporary lights-out measures.  Using photometric and spectroscopic senso...
#LightPollution#Cities#LED
Public
Myotis Myotis
Geyersche Binge im Laternenschein
🇩🇪 Seit 1395/1400 fand am Geyersberg vor allem der Abbau von Zinn, Silber und Kupfer statt. 1704 und 1803 kam es zu zwei Zusammenbrüche des Bergwerks, woraufhin dieses geschlossen wurde.
Die Binge ist stellenweise bis zu 60 Meter tief und wurde hier von einer Anhöhe aus Richtung Süden fotografiert.

🇬🇧 Since 1395/1400, tin, silver and copper have been mined at Geyersberg. In 1704 and 1803, the mine collapsed twice and was subsequently closed.
The binge is up to 60 metres deep in places and was photographed here from a hill to the south.

#NikonD7200 | 18mm | f/3,5 | 262 Sek. | ISO 400 | 01/2023
#Binge #Pinge #Bingestadt #Geyersberg #Geyer #Erzgebirgskreis #Erzgebirge #Sachsen #Deutschland #OreMountains #Saxony Germany
#Bergbau #Bergwerk #Lichtverschmutzung #Langzeitbelichtung #mining #mine #longexposure #lightpollution
DE: Nächtlicher Blick auf einen großen zerklüfteten Granitbrocken, der als Art Mahnmal aus einem Kessel herausguckt. Von Westen bescheinen Straßenlaternen die Felswand, im Osten beleuchtet der bedeckte Vollmond die Umgebung. Kilometerweit im Hintergrund sind weitere Berge und Orte des Erzgebirges zu entdecken. Durch die fast 4,5 Minuten Belichtung sind die Stern zu Spuren und Wolken zu einer diffusen Fläche verwandelt. EN: Night-time view of a large, jagged chunk of granite peeking out of a cauldron as a kind of memorial. Streetlights illuminate the rock face from the west, while the overcast full moon lights up the surroundings in the east. Further mountains and towns in the Ore Mountains can be seen for kilometres in the background. The almost 4.5-minute exposure has turned the stars into trails and the clouds into a diffuse surface.
#lightpollution
Public *
Sonja Quick

Ein Wettbewerb für Insektenfreundliche Gärten in Erkrath ☺️ eine gute Sache hinsichtlich Schutz unserer natürlichen Bestäuber 🪰für Landwirtschaft, Obst- und Gemüsebau.

Leider sorgen die Stadtwerke Erkrath GmbH mit ihrer Werbebeleuchtung des Schornsteins der Fernwärme weitreichend dafür, dass täglich tausende Insekten sterben müssen. Das kann Erkrath sicher besser!!! 🤔 #lichtverschmutzung #LightPollution #bmu

rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/erkra

RP ONLINE · Erkrath: Stadt will insektenfreundliche Vorgärten auszeichnenBy Cordula Hupfer
Public
Peter

Light pollution affects not only night-active insects but also day-active ones like honey bees. Bees in colonies exposed to more light sleep less and dance less—dancing is how they communicate food sources. This impacts the colony’s health and pollination efficiency. With global light pollution on the rise and known threats to nocturnal pollinators like moths, these findings signal more trouble for biodiversity and food security.

nature.com/articles/s41598-024

NatureExposure to constant artificial light alters honey bee sleep rhythms and disrupts sleep - Scientific ReportsArtificial light at night (ALAN) changes animal behavior in multiple invertebrates and vertebrates and can result in decreased fitness. However, ALAN effects have not been studied in European honey bees (Apis mellifera), an important pollinator in which foragers show strong circadian rhythmicity. Colonies can be exposed to ALAN in swarm clusters, when bees cluster outside the nest on hot days and evenings, and, in limited cases, when they build nests in the open. We captured and maintained foragers in incubated cages and subjected them to constant light (LL), constant dark (DD), or 12 h light:12 h dark (LD) cycle, and observed them with infrared cameras. After 79 h, there was a significant interaction of treatment and time because LL bees slept less. In detail, the bees maintained a regular sleep pattern for three days but LL bees showed a shift on the fourth day. LL bees had the largest sleep differences from LD controls, with trends of lengthened periods and increased phase misalignment from both LD and DD bees. LL bees also experienced significantly more disturbances from their nestmates and preferred to sleep in the lower portion of the cages, which had significantly lower light intensity. These findings suggest that ALAN can disrupt the sleep of honey bee foragers, which has implications for their behavior and overall colony health.
#bees#lightpollution#biodiversity
Public
Dr. John Barentine FRAS

“ALAN [artificial light at night] is a significant environmental factor contributing to adverse health outcomes, particularly metabolic disorders and mental health disturbances. While findings suggest actionable interventions, further longitudinal studies are required to confirm causality and explore preventative strategies.”

sciencedirect.com/science/arti

#ArtificialLight#ALAN#LightPollution
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