2023-10-21 20:00:00
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The night, a dark canvas on which thousands of luminous flashes in the form of stars and constellations are painted, has been a source of inspiration for multiple communities throughout the history of humanity: myths, stories and, at times, have been forged. in turn, exciting scientific discoveries. However, today, people who live in large cities or large urban centers have rarely experienced complete darkness at night. Instead, they are surrounded by a artificial glow which affects not only your ability to enjoy the clear starry sky, but also your health and the well-being of wildlife.
Thus, light pollution has become a growing concern in today’s society and, today, it represents something more than a simple annoyance of bright lights at night: it can disrupt our circadian rhythmsaffect the sleep quality and even increase the risk of suffering from certain chronic diseases.
Video: This is how your body varies during the day
A GLOBAL PROBLEM
Light pollution is a problem that increasingly affects more areas of the planet, making it inaccessible for millions of people to observe the night sky. It is a phenomenon that consists of excessive presence of artificial light in the night environment, generally generated by urban, industrial or advertising lighting. Thus, as our cities grow and develop, the lighting demand is increasing, and with it, the emission of artificial light in all directions. This is an effect that results in the dispersion of light towards the sky and, thus, the creation of an artificial glow that makes it difficult to observe celestial objects.
However, the consequences of this problem transcend the borders of metropolitan areas and also affect rural areas and more natural areas, where this light pollution appears as a non-native factor. Street lights, excessively illuminated building facades, stadium or theme park lights, or large advertising billboards are just some examples of how this phenomenon appears in cities.
Now, the problems associated with light pollution go beyond simple interference with astronomical observation. The artificial glow that is emitted has significant impacts on our health, reducing the quality of life of the affected communities. Furthermore, it is a problem that entails considerable economic costs in terms of wasted energy and resources invested in this excessive unnecessary lighting.
Nights getting brighter
IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH
Thus, exposure to light pollution can have a significant impact on human health due to its influence on circadian rhythms of individuals. These are natural cycles in people’s metabolism that are regulated by natural light and darkness and that play a really fundamental role in the regulation of many biological functions. One of the areas that can be most affected by this alteration is the dream Therefore, exposure to artificial light at night can alter sleep patterns, making it difficult to reconcile and fragment it.
Additionally, exposure to sunlight at night can also affect the production of certain hormones that depend on the presence of light to segregate. For example, the melatonin It is a substance that our body produces to regulate sleep-wake cycles. With the presence of sunlight, the formation of the hormone can be altered, leaving the body unstable and vulnerable to disease or without regulation in the face of stress.
Biological clocks and circadian rhythms: their secrets revealed
Likewise, the interruption of circadian rhythms through artificial light in periods where absolute darkness should reign can severely weaken the immune systemmaking the individual vulnerable to the arrival of certain pathogens or even increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disorders.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NIGHT DARKNESS
In this way, nocturnal darkness, in its natural state and without traces of light pollution, constitutes a most valuable resource for maintain the quality of human life, as well as that of the rest of the living beings that inhabit the planet. In addition to influencing people’s circadian rhythms and, therefore, directly on their health, darkness also provides natural well-being to all wild living beings: practically all animals and plants depend on darkness to carry out their daily activities. . The existence of light pollution can disorient migratory birds, interfere with the hunting patterns of some predators, or affect the respiration and photosynthesis cycles of some plants.
Light pollution disorients animals that use the night sky to guide them
As if that were not enough, darkness offers all living beings the opportunity to observe a starry sky and, in some way, connect with nature. Let us not forget that the observation of stars, planets and galaxies is an experience that, for thousands of years, has captivated and inspired humanity, contributing to the understanding of the Universe and nourishing our curiosity.
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