Light Pollution insect apocalypse

[JG777]

No surprises here, will people ever learn though?

Light pollution is key 'bringer of insect apocalypse'

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/22/light-pollution-insect-apocalypse?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

[Alan White]

That is a worrying article indeed.
Something far more serious than us Sky Surfers losing our view to be honest.
Thanks for posting this up.
 

[knobby]

Good news and bad news rolled into one ! maybe now there is evidence that light pollution WILL change or lives someone will start taking it seriously.

Silly idea, but if Mr Johnson or Corbyn are listening perhaps they could introduce an after hours light pollution tax 🙂

I'd vote for them 

[Alan White]

2 hours ago, knobby said:

Good news and bad news rolled into one ! maybe now there is evidence that light pollution WILL change or lives someone will start taking it seriously.

Silly idea, but if Mr Johnson or Corbyn are listening perhaps they could introduce an after hours light pollution tax 🙂

I'd vote for them 

Politics? Tssk, Tssk!
But I do get what you mean knobby.

[DaveS]

/ Wail

"But we'll all be murdered in our beds"

/Wail

[JamesF]

It's depressing.  I do sometimes feel that actually nothing will change until people close to home start dying as a result of humans' careless mismanagement of the environment that keeps us alive.  Until that point, ignorance, greed, the desire for power and a sense of entitlement will override any concerns about our future.

James

[knobby]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Politics? Tssk, Tssk!
But I do get what you mean knobby.

Mmmm I have strayed into the 'P' word, but I don't do it often 😄

[pete_l]

For those wishing to stay away from the politics, the researcher's original article is available here.

[Aramcheck]

3 hours ago, knobby said:

...if Mr Johnson or Corbyn are listening...

One of them did back an Early Day Motion in parliament on Light Pollution back in 1994...

Good article BTW.
Cheers
Ivor

[Mr Spock]

Stay away from politics please. You know what will happen if not 

[Aramcheck]

I think this is the source of the orig. article (dated a bit earlier than the Biological Conservation publication):- https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3378835

A really good piece, that echoes many of the ideas in the DW Documentary "The Insect Apocalypse" https://youtu.be/GzhHHVFp32U and the Buglife review from 2011.

 

[Aramcheck]

Apparently the article is now on the front cover of the print version of the Guardian (Sat 23rd), which is good news. Haven't seen it myself yet.

[johninderby]

.

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by johninderby

[johninderby]

And on this online edition of the Daily Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7715309/Light-pollution-driving-INSECT-APOCALYPSE-scientists-claim.html

[Aramcheck]

Also on page 28 of the 'i Weekend' (23rd Nov)...

[johninderby]

iMore ammunition in the fight to convince councillors that they need to reduce lighting. 👍🏻

[scarp15]

Light pollution is creating an understandable harmful impact, so to are leaf blowers.

  https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/leaf-blowers-insect-noise-pollution-germany-gardening-a9208366.html

 

 

[Ships and Stars]

I read this article yesterday - sad but not surprising. Some (not all) planners/architects still don't seem to get it. The two businesses next to us are beyond ridiculous. One has just installed three 180 deg 1000 lumen unshielded LED flood lights. This is to light ONE small parking space at their rear - they shine directly into our house and needless to say, destroy any chances of astronomy. The other business, despite my written objection, has just received planning permission to install NINE of the exact same ones along the length of their building that faces us a few metres away. I convinced LP offender number one to reluctantly switch the timer off at 8pm, and that took a lot of persuasion with a hint of statutory nuisance thrown in. They acted like I stole their Christmas. The other business is a complete pain they will no doubt leave them on all night. 

Along with other issues from these two businesses, we will simply have to move and are planning to do so in the spring. Even if I wasn't into astronomy, they would drive me nuts, you can't see anything outside at night, it's already blinding.

[maw lod qan]

I drive to work at 3am. It is so, depressing seeing all the businesses that are brilliantly illuminated, that are closed!

The cost to produce the electricity, is just the tip of the iceberg, all the way to the beginning when someone drilled for the crude oil that fuels the power plants.

But big money usually gets their way.