By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness he called “night”. Genesis 1:3-5.
This day and night cycle governs all inhabitants of the earth from the plants, insects, animals and people.
Human beings are diurnal creatures- we are active during the day and sleep at night. That’s how we are designed. As opposed to nocturnal creatures like owls and bats which are active at night and sleep during the day (although I know of some owls without wings). Our built-in biological clock wakes us up at dawn even without the cock crowing or the alarm ringing. Our circadian rhythm is closely linked with this light-dark cycle. Circadian rhythm is the set of physical, mental and behavioral changes in all creation that follow a 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in the environment. This is our sleeping and feeding/eating patterns, brainwave activity and hormone production. I guess this must be the case so we will have peace and order in the universe. Because think how miserable we would be if we didn’t have these patterns – the pig would wake up and grunt for food at 12 midnight. Or you find yourself dozing in your office or ricefield at 9 o’clock in the morning. Our Creator, of course, doesn’t like us to suffer.
Aside from ordering our lives in the community, this light-dark cycle controls the physiological processes in our bodies. For example, current research shows that the hormone called “melatonin” is at its highest level just before bedtime but it is produced during the night- in darkness. Melatonin regulates sleep and has some antioxidant properties.
Light pollution or too much artificial light was once thought to be a problem of astronomers only as they needed to see the night sky clearly. No only astronomers, though, are affected but so are people who simply want to see the splendor of the night sky. Try star gazing in Taft Avenue or Session Road and you can’t see the heavenly bodies clearly because of skyglow. Skyglow is an atmospheric phenomenon in the night sky caused by excess or misdirected artificial light that alters the natural night sky.
Now, as people acquire more and more electronic gadgets and as more and more of our communities and homes are artificially lit, we come to observe that light pollution not only causes skyglow but health problems as well.
Light exposure round the clock is unnatural. It disrupts the circadian rhythm. Exposure to constant artificial light decreases melatonin levels. When melatonin levels are lowered, estrogen levels rise and the risk of estrogen related tumors and disorders is increased. There are also clear links between light pollution and chronic lack of sleep. We know that lack of sleep decreases our immunity, aside from making us grouchy. Studies also reveal that light pollution may affect child development and vision.
Light is a powerful force. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA), a nonprofit educational research organization, has a collection of studies that “reveal that light pollution has an impact on everything from humans to moths.” An example is that newly-hatched sea turtles are disoriented by inland artificial lighting so instead of heading toward the sea, they head inland and of course, they won’t survive there. We need not look far, however, to see how excessive artificial light is adversely affecting us.
Bontoc was the first municipality in Mountain Province to have 24 hours electricity. That was around 1985. After some years, I heard a comment from farmers that rice planted under electric posts in barangay Samoki bore less grain or didn’t bear at all. So light pollution does affect reproduction. If light pollution does that to plants, common sense will tell us that we, human beings, are also adversely affected. We also know that petromax or powerful artificial lights are used by the “mangkik” (those who go to “men-ikik”) to catch the migratory birds. Also observe how moths and “liyek” are attracted to lights, leading to their premature deaths. Prematurely decimating our fellow creatures certainly has a ripple effect in the environment & ultimately will affect our survival.
Aside from health concerns, light pollution means a waste of precious limited resources. If you are asleep, do you need light? No, you need darkness. In the United States alone, it is estimated that the total value of wasted light yearly is about $1 billion!
Fortunately, there are many solutions to this problem of light pollution such as:
1. Shield light bulbs and direct it to the ground where it is needed rather than up the sky. By doing this, bulbs with lower wattage are used thus saving energy and money.
2. Reduce the number and brightness of lights. The Christmas lights in those giant Christmas trees and along the city streets are pretty but when I think how much energy and money is spent for those, I get sad. I am happy, though, I don’t see that much Christmas lights here in Bontoc unlike before. Do we really need those?
3. Replace inefficient bulbs with energy-saving ones.
Some governments, like Australia, Czech Republic and many national parks in the United States, have recognized the folly of disrupting Mother Nature’s design and have enacted light control laws to protect the night sky, protect wildlife in national parks and ensure that people experience the real nighttime sky.
For people in communities with no street lights and shop lights, just turn off your house lights before you sleep. By just turning off the lights, we promote health, save energy and money. We will even see the Milky Way, Venus and Mars. We could watch the twinkling fireflies along the Iwahig river and Chico River and our yard. And we could wish upon the shining star of Sirius, Procyon or Aldebaran!**
