LIGHT POLLUTION: SOLVING A GLOBAL ISSUE WITH THE FLICK OF A SWITCH

Abstract

Less than 150 years ago, Thomas Edison invented the modern lightbulb. Since that invention, light pollution is one of the most rapid and wide-spread alterations that humans have made to the global environment. Artificial light has altered the appearance of the night sky for plants and animals that have adapted over millions of years to the only source of light being the sun and its reflection on the moon at night. This dramatic change has brought a multitude of adverse effects to a wide range of species, including humans. Wasted light causes most light pollution, serving no functional purpose for human beings. The wasted light in the US is estimated to cost Americans $3.3 billion annually, along with a range of costs that come from light pollution affecting human health through interruptions in circadian rhythm. This study has found that there are factors outside of population density that heavily influence the amount of light pollution that is omitted by counties throughout the 48 contiguous United States. Using robust multiple linear regression and incorporating both microeconomic and macroeconomic variables, the models in this paper show that land ownership, energy use, outdoor lighting use, road density, and employment patterns have a statistically significant influence on light pollution. Policymakers can develop and assess lighting ordinances—in which the government sets restrictions on the amount of light that can be omitted towards the sky—using the results of this study. The policy extension encourages the development of wide-spread lighting ordinances to combat the deleterious effects of light pollution, as well as benefit the US economy through the dramatic reduction of wasted lighting. With proper ordinances to correct the issues in our current lighting practices put in place throughout the United States, there could be substantial economic and environmental benefits.