THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
ROMFORD ROAD, STRATFORD,
LONDON, E15 4LZ
NEWSLETTER NO. 17 May 1996
LIGHT POLLUTION by Irene Buchan
Members must have noticed the coloured night sky which signals the presence of
buildings in the distance.
The Council for the Protection of Rural England and the British Astronomical
Association are currently running a campaign to minimise the effect of sky-reflected
lighting, in particular to make it possible to see the stars more clearly.
There are other issues which I feel that the Field Club - especially with its suggested new
title of 'Essex Natural Histoiy Society' - should also consider, and which could justify the
Society giving its active support/approval to the campaign.
In the Institution of British Lighting Engineers leaflet:- 'Guidance notes for the reduction
of light pollution' it is noted that all living things adjust their behaviour according to
natural light. Artificial light has done much to safeguard our night-time environment but,
if not properly controlled, obtrusive light can present serious physiological and ecological
problems. Sky glow, glare and light trespass, waste energy, money, and the Earth's finite
energy resources, this usually also means unnecessary emission of greenhouse gases.
The government has issued a 'green report', with the implication that we could do better.
It is well known that some birds and invertebrates are attracted to bright lights, many
batter themselves to death or are distracted from traditional migration courses. Birds can
sing themselves to exhaustion whilst defending territory in lit areas. Some small birds
and mammals, whilst resting or when searching for food, rely on darkness for protection
from predators. This must also apply to other species.
Many types of light attract myriads of insects. The greater the spread of light the greater
the decimation of certain species which are likely to be the kind upon which other
wildlife feeds. We are thus, unnecessarily, colluding in the possible extinction of some
kinds of insect-eating creatures and the predators which feed on them.
Recently a TV programme incidentally recorded huge numbers of mayflies attracted to
the lights of a spreading American town. The citizens dreaded the emergence of the
harmless mayflies, on a short-lived mating flight, and the insects' flight was abortive
because they had been lured away from their natural habitat.
At a recent talk, by a Senior Conservation Officer of English Nature, of particular interest
was the remark ny the lady who had noticed, with approval, the increasing use of energy
efficient bulbs in the street lighting of London; this brought a comment on how good they
were at attracting moths! I have thought much about that exchange and it really does
bring home how difficult it is to calculate/balance the effect of apparent improvements.
But it makes it even more important that every effort is made to preserve some large tracts