[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-left”]

Too few people are aware of the consequences of light pollution.

For security reasons, we often think that lighting is a non negotiable part of the night. However studies show that light pollution has many bad effects on our ecosystem and our health.

“Humans – just like other animals and plants – have been conditioned over millions of years to rely on circadian rhythms, which are controlled by natural light-dark, day-night transitions. If the environment remains brightly lit then the night-time mode of repair and replenishment cannot occur as is required, and potentially harmful free radicals build up in our systems.” says Professor Brian Espey
In recent years, cities have been switching their lights to LED because they are cheaper and more energy-efficient.

However, their light is reflecting into the sky creating light pollution, disturbing the night life of nocturnes animals.

In Ireland, An Taisce expressed its concerned about the issue. The NGO is involved in night sky protection and recently praised the initiative in the Mayo International Dark Sky Park, hoping that those good results will be replicate in other part of the country.
Lead by Georgia MacMillan , the park got the Dark Sky status. It is now an educational place as in order to get the Dark Sky status the park needs to organise four educational outreach events per year. It is an opportunity to raise awareness around the light pollution problem that is not covered in the media.

[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-center”]DID YOU KNOW?[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_feature_list][x_feature_box title=”Animals are threatened by light pollution” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”tree”]Our ecosystem is greatly disrupted by light pollution. It affects various species that rely on night dark.

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Sea turtle
Sea turtles hatch at night on the beach and are drove to the ocean thank to the bright horizon above the water. Because of light pollution, number of sea turtles have died, going to the city lights rather than the ocean.

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Migratory birds
Migratory birds that fly at night navigate by moonlight and starlight. The light pollution confuse them and move away from their paths.

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Butterfly
Light pollution interfere with their matting call. Male butterfly produce a light to attract female and because of light pollution, it is no longer visible, resulting in fewer butterflies every years.
[/x_feature_box][x_feature_box title=”Seasons are affected too” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”hsl(15, 93%, 50%)” align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”pagelines”]A recent study, based on a 13 years data analysis, showed that in the UK, spring came a week before this year because of light pollution. This study was the first one focusing on repercussion of light pollution on flora.[/x_feature_box][x_feature_box title=”You can learn about the sky and its mysteries in Iceland” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”hsl(56, 100%, 50%)” align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”lightbulb-o”]An amazing initiative in Iceland was organise to raise awareness about light pollution. The city has regularly since 2006 turned off the lights of 4 districts while an astronomer describes the night sky on the national radio.[/x_feature_box][/x_feature_list][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://greennews.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/lighting-examples.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_author title=”About the Author” author_id=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]