Night Lights Thanks to the creators of the incandescent filament lamp, we are able today to illuminate our streets, homes and businesses with the flip of a switch, thereby extending the day long past sundown. Yet turning night into day has not been without its drawbacks.
Astronomers decry excessive light levels for obstructing the view of the skies.
The International Dark-Sky Association seeks to educate the public about light pollution the unnatural luminescence created by a combination of urban sky glow and glare which it calls a growing threat to the nighttime environment. Nonhuman organisms can be affected as well. Research in Florida has shown that near coastal cities, sea turtle populations are often threatened by unnatural light. New hatchlings, which instinctively head toward the brightest spot on the horizon, confuse urban lights with the ocean s reflection of moonlight, starlight and bioluminescence in the water. Led inland, the young turtles frequently die from unfortunate encounters with cars or predators.