DARK SKY

• GLARE
  Imagine walking down the street, or driving in your car, and as you pass by another vehicle, their windshield reflects sunlight into your eyes. Glare can sometimes be painful and makes it difficult to see. It can also be caused by streetlights or spotlights at night.
• SKYGLOW
  Skyglow happens when there is too much light shining up towards the sky. It can often be seen in larger cities, or just outside of larger cities, as a yellow halo surrounds the city's skyline. This glow makes it nearly impossible to see the stars.
• LIGHT TRESPASS
  Streetlamps are designed and used to keep areas on the street and sidewalks well-lit. However many times the streetlight will be shining light where it shouldn’t be, like your bedroom window. That is light trespass.

Light pollution affects not only the ecosystem and its animals, but humans as well. The structure of your eye is made up of cones and rods, and according to scientists, the rods respond to light at different brightness levels and plays a role in regulating your sleep cycle. With too much light entering your bedroom window, it can cause trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, which in turn can cause anxiety, depression, a weak immune system, diabetes, and even put you at a higher risk for certain cancers.

When it comes to our fellow animal friends, the impact may be more serious. Circadian rhythms are not just important to us. Light also controls the sleeping, breeding, and hunting of many animals. As an example, light pollution from cities has affected sea turtles on Canada’s Atlantic Coast. When these animals hatch from their egg, they look for moonlight to guide them to the ocean. With light pollution, these animals become confused and wander away from safety into cities and streets.

The International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org) acknowledges that modern society requires outdoor lighting, however, it has suggestions on how to minimize the harmful effects of light pollution.