The Dark is a Frightening Thing, But so are Lights

Our fear of the dark is a part of human nature, but is it really the dark that makes nighttime less safe?

According to the FBI statistics, in residential areas, crime is actually more likely to occur in the daytime. When it comes to reducing crime, for the 4-J School District in Eugene, Oregon, graffiti on their buildings virtually disappeared when they turned off their outdoor lights from the hours of 11 pm to 6 am. It Turns out that criminals also need light to see what they are doing.

The idea that more lighting means more safety feels like it should be true, and it has been reinforced by the Northampton police in previous years. Past police chief, Russell Sienkiewicz has been cited saying “Lighting is universally acknowledged as being the second most effective crime prevention and reduction strategy”. But there is little connection between reduced lighting and crime. In a study examining 14 years of data across 63 British cities, researchers compared dark cities to non-dark cities and concluded that areas of reduced lighting saw no increase in crimes such as burglary, auto theft, robbery, violence, or sexual assault. There are dedicated dark sky communities in the United States like Fountain Hill Arizona, River Hills in Austin Texas, and other rural communities around the world that are safe. We have built a culture of fear of the dark, but other places in this world are dark and safe.

So bright lights at night don’t necessarily create safety, but do they cause harm? Well, excessive night lighting has been linked to shifts in our circadian rhythm which creates an increased risk of cancer, obesity, poor mental health in humans, and more. Bright white LEDs create excessive blue light that can contribute to disability glare. Additionally, it is possible that retinal damage can occur from long-term exposure to blue spectrum wavelengths.

It is not just humans that are affected by light pollution. Everything under the sun, and even moreso, everything under the moon is negatively impacted. Around the world, approximately 30% of vertebrates and more than 60% of invertebrates are nocturnal. Light pollution has been cited as a threat to important pollinators such as bats and bees, marine life, plants, and migratory birds. Night light is responsible for unnatural pathing changes during migrations that result in bird deaths. Artificial light at night alters the timing of important biological cycles such as when seeds sprout, how plants allocate resources, the reproduction of insects, and much more. We may be able to go inside our homes to escape light pollution, but every living organism outside does not have that privilege and suffers as a result.

So how do we make lighting in Northampton better?

(Images by International Darksky Week and WGI)

Simple principles of directing lighting downward, making the light less intense, and keeping the color of the lights warm are simple, effective ways to reduce light pollution.

Northampton already has laws in place around the direction of light needing to be directed downwards, but currently, the lighting bylaws for Northampton encourage the use of bright white lighting. The American Medical Association recommends LED lights under 3000k, or warm lighting at night. However, there are no mentions in the Northampton bylaws of regulating the color of outdoor lights.

On December 11th, these bylaws will be up for revision in the City Council chambers by the Planning Board and Committee on Legislative Matters. Smith College’s James. P Lowenthal, professor of Astronomy, has said, “Light pollution is a global problem with local solutions… unlike global warming where you could do everything within your power, locally, and you wouldn’t really change much… If we just controlled excessive and poorly designed light at night here in Northampton, we would be able to see the Milky Way.” Every living thing on this Earth is entitled to a starry night sky, but in a world where 83.6% of North Americans live in well-lit urban areas, many of us have lost out on seeing the Milky Way. Better lighting in Northampton is possible, and we can help make that change.

The Joint Meeting of the Planning Board, Committee on Legislative Matters, and the Northampton City Council are deciding these matters are open to the public and can be joined in person at the 2nd Floor Hearing Room, City Hall 210 Main Street, Northampton, MA. You can also join it via Zoom, or phone call at +929 436-2866 US.