Wreaking Havoc

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Wreaking Havoc

• With Outdoor Lights at Night

Joe Frannea Southern Arizona Section of the
International Dark-Sky Association
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Ecological Consequences by Introducing Artificial
Light

• Astronomical effects of Light Pollution are
  obvious Environmental are not
• Last 30 Years of Environmental Planning has
  mainly focused on Day-time issues not
  Night-time
• Huge Lack of Scientific Information but lots of
  empirical information
• Lack of research due to interest/funding?

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The World is Very Differentat Night

• More animals are nocturnal than diurnal
• Natural darkness as important as daytime
• All living things have biological cycles
  (circadian clock/rhythms, free run at 21-27 hrs)
• Artificial Lights - only past 100 years
• Electric Light Bulb - Thomas
  Edison 1880

George Westinghouse Electricity Transmission
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The World at Night
More Like Daytime
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MammalsSome Effects of Artificial Lights

• Disruption of Foraging
• Increased Predation Risk
• Disruption of Biological Clock
• Increased Mortality on Roads
• Disruption of Dispersal Movements
• React Naturally to Full Moon Light
• Most Nocturnal have few retinal cones
• (can be blinded by sudden bright lights)

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Bats

• Are important night time pollinators
• Lights effect the local distribution of bats due
  to insects around the lights
• Lights can induce aggressive bat behavior to
  other bats and drive them out
• Yellow outdoor lights are important to minimize
  insect attraction

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Migrating Birds

• Hundreds of species migrate at night
• Artificial light and fires attract birds and they
  cant seem to break away from it
• Sky Glow can cause disorientation
• Lit buildings, towers, poles, signs, and
  billboards can cause fatal collisions
• Populations are declining throughout the world,
  lights are one major factor

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Bird Mis-Navigation
www.FLAP.org
193 birds every 60 seconds
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Marine Birds

• Light sources include lighthouses, oil gas
  platform flares and fishing boats
• Night lights effect reproduction, migration,
  foraging and behaviors
• Many nocturnal seabirds are attracted to
  artificial light
• Some diurnal sea gulls now hunt at night

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Sea Turtles

• Mortality due to artificial lighting is well
  documented for hatchlings - Florida
• Hatchling must find sea, not condos
• Attracted to shorter wavelengths (violet/green)
• Strict lighting regulations adopted and public
  awareness Education!
• Other Lighting concerns being studied

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• Hatchlings Headed Straight to the Ocean

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Totally Confused due to Outdoor Lights
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Frogs Toads

• Experiencing global decline (lights may be a
  factor)
• Radically more light into their habitats
• Less mobile than other animals
• Have complex life cycles
• Lights make them less selective about picking
  mates
• Are Prey and Predators of other nocturnal
  animals, lights can alter this

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Fish

• Coastal zones, lakes, streams, ponds and rivers
  all impacted by lights over half world
  population lives within 50 miles
• Light, temperature and structures greatly effect
  aquatic organisms
• Behaviors - Feeding, Schooling, Migration,
  Spawning, Predation depend on specific light
  intensities

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Insects

• Critically Important Pollinators
• especially moths at night (light is a drug)
• Flight-to-Light Behavior interferes with normal
  activities and is often fatal
• Vacuum Cleaner Effect sucked out of habitat,
  depletes local populations
• Some wont mate in lighted conditions
• Use yellow bulbs to minimize attraction

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Fireflies

• Hold a special place in human cultures
• Self-generated chemical luminescence for sexual
  communication
• External light can wash out the glow, delay
  mating, reduce number of eggs (7 eggs/day)
• Light has serious consequences for them
• Glowworms attract males up to 150 away using
  bioluminescent flashes

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Plants

• Light is one of the most
• important signals that effects development
• Respond to spectral quality, light intensity,
  light direction and light duration some
  florists use this to delay of force blooms
• One study showed a one second light at night
  caused the plant not to bloom

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Bottom Lit Billboard
Huge Waste of Energy-Tremendous Light Pollution
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Top Lit Billboard

• Fluorescent Lights Save Energy
• Top Lit Minimizes Light Pollution

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• Dark Sleep is Important for Melatonin Production

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Responsible Lighting

• Use Fully Shielded Light Fixtures
• (no light above the horizontal)
• Use the right amount of uniform light
• (more light is not better, often worse)
• Turn on lights only when needed
• and
• Use energy efficient bulbs-save energy

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We All Know

• In Real Estate, 3 most important things are
• Location Location Location

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But Dont Forget

• The 3 most important things
• for Responsible Lighting
• Education Education Education

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And Dont Forget

• We Need Your Help!
• Pass the Word Thanks...

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Wreaking Havoc

• With Outdoor Lights at Night

Most of Written Material from Ecological
Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting Island
Press, 2006
Joe Frannea Southern Arizona Section of the
International Dark-Sky Association
rev4