Light Pollution Causing Disrupting Ecosystem

Light pollution, also known as photopollution, is excessive, misdirected or obtrusive artificial light. As a major side-effect of urbanization, it is blamed for compromising health, disrupting ecosystems and spoiling aesthetic environments. we can say, The alteration of natural light levels in the outdoor environment owing to artificial light sources which gives an adverse effect on energy conservation. Light pollution competes with starlight in the night sky for urban residents, interferes with astronomical observatories and like any other form of pollution, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects.

Light polloutions has several categories which includes light trespass, over-illumination, glare, light clutter, and skyglow Light trespass occurs when unwanted light enters one's property, for instance, by shining over a neighbor's fence. A common light trespass problem occurs when a strong light enters the window of one's home from the outside, causing problems such as sleep deprivation.

Over-illumination is the excessive use of light.Specifically within the United States, over-illumination is responsible for approximately two million barrels of oil per day in energy wasted. It is caused by several factors like Daylight lighting" demanded by citizens to reduce crime or by shop owners to attract customers. Indirect lighting techniques, such as illuminating a vertical wall to bounce light onto the ground and Incorrect choice of fixtures or light bulbs, which do not direct light into areas as needed. There are so many factors which are responsible for causing over illumination.

Glare is caused from from bad lighting which is a public-health hazard—especially the older you become. Glare light scattering in the eye causes loss of contrast and leads to unsafe driving conditions, much like the glare on a dirty windshield from low-angle sunlight or the high beams from an oncoming car. In essence bright and/or badly shielded lights around roads can partially blind drivers or pedestrians and contribute to accidents.Light clutter refers to excessive groupings of lights. Groupings of lights may generate confusion, distract from obstacles (including those that they may be intended to illuminate), and potentially cause accidents.Skyglow refers to the diffuse glow that can be seen over populated areas. It arises from light reflected from illuminated surfaces and from light escaping directly upward from incompletely shielded or upward-directed light fixtures, which then is scattered (redirected) by the atmosphere back toward the ground.

The factors that are mentioned above causes serious health hazards. It gave an adverse effects on animal and human health and psychology. While light at night can be beneficial, neutral, or damaging for individual species, its presence invariably disturbs ecosystems.For example, some species of spiders avoid lit areas, while other species are happy to build their spider web directly on a lamp post. Since lamp posts attract many flying insects, the spiders that don't mind light gain an advantage over the spiders that avoid it. This is a simple example of the way in which species frequencies and food webs can be disturbed by the introduction of light at night.It also gave an adverse effect on astronomy as well. Astronomy is very sensitive to light pollution. The night sky viewed from a city bears no resemblance to what can be seen from dark skies.Thus we need to save our energy because "Today’s wastage is tomorrow’s shortage".