The importance of the dark in our life

The artificial light take away more and more space to the dark, but man needs the dark as much as light.

Light, as much light, as we have never had before. Historically, man has always tried to fight the dark, and artificial light, with the advent of public lighting, has allowed him to overcome the darkness, to dominate it.

Technology has increased the efficiency of lighting up the LED lights of today, but without a measure. Talking about excess and abuse of artificial light is a scientific study that explains how, from 2012 to 2016, global ligt pollution has increased by two percent per year. In Italy, from the 70s to today, it has increased by four times.

The potential energy savings due to the transition to LED lighting, which could have reduced the scope of the phenomenon, have instead resulted in a multiplication of light points.

Theconsequences are more serious than one might think:

• For scholars and passionates, it is increasingly difficult to study the stars, which fascinates humankind and enriched its knowledge.
• Living in a world without darkness affects the rhythms of the human body and health. The excess of artificial light causes disorders such as insomnia and depression, and increases the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• The artificial light that illuminates more and more the night of urban centres, confuses insects and affects, in negative, on their reproductive cycle. The consequences is an increasingly irreversible death of species of these animals, very important for nature balance.

It is possible to act on the cause of this type of pollution, in a much simpler and more immediate way than many other environmental problems. It would be enough to reduce the artificial lights that remain on at night and increase their efficiency.

Reducing light pollution would also allow us to return to wonder, as we have done since we are on this earth, looking at the sky at night.