To the editor:
The Lynnfield Tree Committee wants to thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us to hear Dr. Mario Motta’s fascinating presentation about light pollution and its unexpected consequences. Dr. Motta is a well-known retired cardiologist and amateur astronomer who has even had an asteroid named in his honor. Special thanks to town officials from the Department of Public Works, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Board of Health for attending.
Dr. Motta described how the increase in outdoor lighting, and especially the use of less effective, unshielded lighting, has been linked to everything from decreased turtle and insect populations to increases in human cancer incidence. Both indoor and outdoor artificial nighttime light has also been linked to increases in cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, diabetes, and of course, sleep disorders. Blue light from laptops and computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, TV, and fluorescent and CFL bulbs can penetrate eyelids and damage the retina. He emphasized the importance of sleeping in a dark room and maintaining a standard circadian cycle of sleeping at night.
We also learned that contrary to popular belief, increased lighting does not increase safety. Bright lights prevent you from being able to see into the shadows where someone can be lurking. When asked, thieves said they were in fact attracted to overly lit homes because it indicated wealth. This reduction holds true for traffic safety too. As an example, car accidents at one notorious intersection were drastically reduced by replacing bright lights with shaded lights of optimal (lower) intensity.
In addition to turtles and insects, artificial nighttime light has negative and deadly effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, and even plants. Dr. Motta had a dramatic photo of a large tree adjacent to a streetlight. The artificial light tricked the tree into keeping the adjacent leaves while the rest of the tree was bare.
The key message was to be mindful of how and when you light your home and property. Unnecessary and excessive artificial nighttime light, both indoors and outdoors, can cause a negative domino effect on the health of you, your loved ones and those around you.
If you would like to learn more, there is some information on the Planning Board’s website, or you can go to DarkSky International at darksky.org.
The Lynnfield Tree Committee
