Energy-saving LEDs boost light pollution worldwide

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They were supposed to bring about an energy revolution—but the popularity of LED lights is driving an increase in light pollution worldwide, with dire consequences for human and animal health, researchers said Wednesday.

The study in the journal Science Advances is based on satellite data showing that the Earth's night is getting brighter, and artificially lit outdoor surfaces grew at a pace of 2.2 percent per year from 2012 to 2016.

Experts say that's a problem because nighttime lights are known to disrupt our body clocks and raise the risks of cancer, diabetes and depression.

As for animals, these lights can kill—whether by attracting insects or disorienting migrating birds or sea turtles.

The issue isn't just the LED lights themselves, which are more efficient because they need far less electricity to provide the same amount of light, explained lead author Chris Kyba, a physicist at the German Research Center for Geosciences.

Rather, it's that people keep installing more and more lights, he told reporters on a conference call to discuss the research.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-11-energy-sa ... e.html#jCp

I'm not at all surprised, LED lights are really bright >_< Where I live, most of the street lights are still older incandescent (I believe?), but I've seen plenty of cars with newer headlamps, and those things hurt my retinas so bad.

Also briefly mentioned in the article I read, "white" LEDs usually give off blue wavelengths, which are said to trigger your body into blocking melatonin production.

This is both too bright and not warm white light. That is 2700K to 3000K color.
To fix this Dark sky fixtures help.
1. Light fixtures that point down.
2. Warm white 2700 K
3. Turns out most eyes do better if the contrast does not change too fast.
4. Does not glare.
Short hand BUG No Backlight, Uplight, Glare.