Our latest project in science class was on light pollution. I, for one, had never even heard of light pollution. When you think of pollution you most likely think of trash and smoke, but light pollution is a different kind of pollution. Light pollution has to do with artificial light, like in lightbulbs, street lamps, and buildings. Did you know that 80% of people can’t see the Milky Way? That’s because of light pollution. The light in big cities is so bright that it outshines the Milky Way making it impossible to see. Traverse city itself is a decently sized city, so when you look at a map of light pollution Traverse City is a shade of orange. Meaning that we can see the Milky Way, just not very well. Another problem due to light pollution is animals that depend on light. Baby turtles when first born are genetically programmed to go into the water, however if the light they see is artificial, they don’t know where the water is, leading them toward the dangerous city. Another animal affected is birds. It’s said that a billion birds hit buildings each year and die. The light of the city confuses the bird leading it to its death bed.
Questions:
How many other animals are affected?
Is light pollution a problem in small towns?
Does light pollution damage human health?