Written From The Elbow

Urban light pollution is linked to higher rates of mental illness and cancer. Over 50% of the world's population now live in cities. As this ratio grows, the problem will get worse. When you sleep tonight, reclaim the night from the light. Last week,  New York City Council studied  the details of a bill that may "limit internal and external light use in many commercial buildings when empty at night." It joins several other global cities that have moved in the same direction over the last few years. Even Paris, known as the City of Lights, hit the dimmer switch in July 2013 after  France passed nationwide legislation  that mandates a 1 a.m. curfew on over-illumination. The reasons for turning down the lights are threefold. Firstly, resulting lower energy usage cuts costs and CO2 emissions. Secondly,  night-migrating birds that rely on the moon and stars for navigation , lose their way because of the confusion that light pollution causes them, and many ...