Opinion: State should take first step toward curbing light pollution 

Step out tonight and look up. What do you see? If you live in the Bay Area, Sacramento or any one of California’s many urban areas, chances are that it’s a far cry from the heavens that inspired our ancestors to create stories and write songs. The glare from city lights blots out all but the moon, Venus and a few of the more intrepid stars – not just in the cities, but far into the surrounding countryside. In fact, light pollution has increased by nearly 50% over the past several decades not only in California, but also around the world. If that’s a tragedy for humans, it’s a disaster for birds and other wildlife.

Light pollution harms plants, animals and insects by disrupting breeding, foraging for food, pollination and migration.  Light attracts nocturnally migrating birds and diverts them from safe migration routes to human environments, where they are more susceptible to collisions with buildings and other human-made structures. Every year, up to a billion birds die in North America alone from colliding with buildings. Insects, including many pollinator species such as moths, are attracted to light as well, and when transfixed by a light, they circle around it until they die, are eaten or the light is extinguished.

Light pollution also harms human health and well being by interfering with hormonal patterns and sleep and suppressing the natural production of melatonin, which is a crucial hormone in regulating our sleep and is an aid to the immune system. Teens and adolescents who live in areas that have high levels of light at night are more likely to have mood and anxiety disorders, and interrupted sleep patterns. Breast, prostate and thyroid cancers are more prevalent in people who are exposed to light at night.

While this harm to our ecosystems and to our health from light pollution is pervasive, it’s also preventable. The California Legislature has passed a bill that, if signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would take an important first step toward curbing light pollution, improving ecosystem and human health, and promoting energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions in our state. Assembly Bill  2382, authored by Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, would address light pollution by requiring the state to  use light fixtures that shield their light and produce warmer light colors when the state has to replace or install new outdoor lighting fixtures on state buildings and structures, including in state parks and on state lands. This bill does include exceptions to the light fixture requirements to ensure that the state is able to protect public health and safety. Essentially, AB 2382 treats light like medicine – use it where and when light is needed, and at the appropriate brightness.

Excessive light at night is also wasteful and contributes to climate change. The International Dark Sky Association estimates that at least 30% of all outdoor lighting in the United States alone is wasted – primarily by lights that aren’t directed properly. That wasted light totals $3.3 billion in lost electricity costs and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. It is time to reverse this trend and protect our night sky and biosphere.

Lastly, the loss of the night in our cities disconnects people from tradition, folklore and song. What do the children of California make of nursery rhymes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, stories like “Goodnight Moon,” and history of navigation and discovery? What will inspire children to study our universe and contemplate our small place in its vastness when they quite literally cannot see the stars in the sky?

At least 19 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have laws in place to reduce light pollution. All address similar concerns central to this bill – protecting humans, ecosystems, and other wildlife from hazards caused by excessive night lighting. AB 2382 deserves the governor’s signature so California can join the movement to keep our skies free of unnecessary and harmful light pollution.

Travis Longcore is an Associate Adjunct Professor in the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and co-chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program.