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Fabio Falchi |
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Light pollution, the alteration of the natural night light levels due to artificial lights, is a big trouble, not only for astronomers. Negative consequences of artificial night light was found for human health and for environment. Human health problems due to the loss of dark at night include: insomnia, depression, myopia, obesity, loss of melatonin production (a primary regulator of circadian rhythms and oncostatic hormone). Environmental problems include: migratory birds disorientation, sea turtles disorientation and eggs deposition problems, habitat destruction, mating habits, predations and eating habits modification for moths, other insects and night fauna in general, alteration of the rest period of vegetation.
The technical prescriptions to lower light pollution consequences on environment are well established and tested: use light only when, where and how strictly necessary. The ‘how’ includes the exclusive use of fully shielded fixtures, the adoption of low blue-content lamps, not exceeding the minimum lighting levels for the task. The adoption of these technical prescriptions resulted in a stop in the increase of light pollution (despite a substantial increase of the installed light flux) in some regions of Italy. A generalized adoption of these prescriptions, along with a much wiser use of the ‘when and where’ factors, can give us back the starry sky and a less polluted night environment. |