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Light Polluti

on

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The Earth from de International Space Station

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The sky from the Earth

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LIGHT POLLUTION• Excessive and inappropriate use of artificial light

A town during the blackout

The same town after

The Blackout

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• Stellarium simulation

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CAUSES

• Inadequate design of lamps and projectors.

• Incorrect installation of lamps and spotlights, emitting light far beyond its target or zone of influence, without any useful effect.

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CONSEQUENCES

• Waste of energy

• Waste of money

• Air pollution

• Impact on living beings

• Obstacle to astronomical observations.

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ECONOMIC AND ANVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

• Abuse of natural resources;

• Excessive consumption of fossil fuels;

• Excessive power consumption;

• More air pollution:

• Increased energy costs.

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LIGHT POLLUTION AND WILDLIFE

• Animals and plants live according to the 24-hour cycle of our planet.

• Humans can feel a change in their circadian rhythm when traveling by air between places with different time zones. This change is characterized by drowsiness, lethargy, or a general feeling that something is not right.

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LIGHT POLLUTION AND WILDLIFE

• The animals behaviors are also affected when exposed to too much artificial light at night.

• Behaviors affected by light pollution:

• migration;

• sleep;

• food searching.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - MAMMALS

• The bright lights of cities and towns harm mammals worldwide, through the loss of his nocturnal ecosystem. Examples of affected mammals are bats, raccoons, wolves, deer and elk. These species may be subjected to:

• decline in reproduction leading to population decline;

• difficulty in finding food due to excessive brightness;

• exposure to predators who would be otherwise unable to see them;

• mortality increasement, caused by the weakening of eyesight.

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LIGHT POLLUTION- BIRDS

• http://vimeo.com/54089280

• Many species of birds migrate or hunt at night.

• This dependence of darkness makes them extremely vulnerable to bright lights in areas that are naturally dark. The birds can be attracted to the light sources and stay fixed in the light beam.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - BIRDS• Light pollution is a major threat to birds, especially seabirds by the time the juveniles

leave the nests.

• The birds are attracted by the lights, get blinded and collide with buildings, power lines and vehicles, that are increasing in coastal areas due to urban and industrial development.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - BIRDS• Every year about 100 million birds in North America die in collisions with lighted buildings

and towers;

• Not wanting to fly back to the darker areas, the birds continue to fly toward the spotlight until they are exhausted, fall, or finded by a predator;

• Artificial lights can still take migratory birds out of their route, not reaching its natural destiny;

• Seabirds collide with the headlights, wind turbines and floating platforms at sea.

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LIGHT POLLUTION - REPTILES

• Reptiles are strongly affected by light pollution.

• Sea turtles like to build their nests in remote and very dark beaches.

• Coastal lights interfere with their ability to find safe nesting areas for their eggs.

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LIGHT POLLUTION- REPTILES

• The infant turtles drag themselves instinctively toward the safety of the ocean due to the light caused by the reflection of the moon and the stars in the water.

• For centuries, this reflex was the brightest spot of light from the beach

• When the babies hatch, they are very vulnerable to all sorts of predators and have to walk to the sea as soon as possible.

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LIGHT POLLUTION- REPTILES

• Artificial lights can confuse the baby turtles and take them to crawl away from the ocean into the roads or communities.

• If they don’t find their way back to the ocean, they get exhausted or dehydrated and die.

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SOCIAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS

• The light enters by the windows. It causes fatigue, insomnia and stress.

• Harms public safety, since the powerful light can cause temporary blindness for drivers of vehicles.

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PREVENTION

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LIGHT CORRECTION• http://www.need-less.org.uk/

• Each lamp or the projector could reflect down light that would go up, illuminating more with the same lamp.

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• We could also illuminate the same area using a lower wattage lamp

• We can do even better, using more efficient reflector and energy lamps, with even greater savings.

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WE WANT TO SEE

THE STARS!!!

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http://www.miguelclaro.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/MonsarazConvento-TheMoonMilkyWay-Label-net.jpg

28http://vimeo.com/24551969

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.slideshare.net/eufisica/palestra-sobre-poluio-luminosa-30356496#btnPrevious

• http://dsr.nuclio.pt/

• http://www.miguelclaro.com/wp/

• http://www.terramater.pt/?pag=148

• http://ambiente-legal.blogspot.com/2009/06/poluicao-luminosa_15.html

• http://pascal.iseg.utl.pt/~ncrato/Expresso/PoluicaoLuminosa.pdf

• http://ecosfera.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1388443

• http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLI15313320080819

• http://www.portalsaofrancisco.com.br/alfa/meio-ambiente-poluicao-luminosa/poluicao-luminosa-4.php