More on 'Earthlights'

I posted a while back perhaps my all-time favorite net pic; 'Earthlights' a shot of the earth engulfed in darkness and dotted with the glare of human habitation. This story looks at the impact of those rampant lumens. The most striking example of this phenomenon I have seen was the glow of Las Vegas appearing on the horizon while driving across the desert. The inserted photo was taken after the blackout in August 2003 in Goodwood, a small town about 45 minutes NE of Toronto.

Starry Night, circa 2007
If you live anywhere near a big city it’s likely you can’t see much through the fog of light pollution. Now, a movement of activists and scientists are taking up the cause of darkness

To the meat:

Many believe the profusion of light is taking a great toll on us and the plants and animals with which we share the planet. Their concern has even sparked a new science – scotobiology. Although so far it's more about questions than answers, this budding branch of research argues a simple idea. For Greek speakers, the name offers a clue. Skoteinos translates roughly into "full of darkness."

In short, the theory is this: Plants and animals are programmed to function in a certain pattern of daylight and darkness. Alter it and unhealthy things happen. It applies equally to organisms that are active at night and those, including humans, whose bodies require regular periods with the lights out.

Concern about light pollution didn't begin with scotobiology.

Originally, it came from astronomers who found it increasingly tough to see the stars, unless they moved their telescopes to pristine, remote locations or, in the case of the Hubble, out into space.

It was buttressed by a sense that humans lose something precious when they sever their joyful, fearful connection to the vast night time canopy, and the stark lesson it offers about our insignificant place in space and time.

Link