This piece was written by Geoff Rauch and narrated by Aaron Watson, both with Dark Skies Paonia.
For many people in the United States, perhaps most, remembering the majestic sight of the night sky is often simply a fond memory. With seemingly endless development and the introduction of low cost and very bright LED lighting, that expansive view of the night sky that we take for granted here in the rural Western Slope is under slow but relentless illumination pressure. So why does light pollution even matter? Welcome to the relatively new field of Scotobiology.
The concept of scotobiology as a science was developed at a conference on light pollution held in Muskoka, Ontario, in 2003. Just as the word “photo” relates to light, “scoto” is the word that relates to “darkness.” Therefore, Scotobiology is the study of the role darkness plays in living organisms.
What scotobiology tells us is that interrupting darkness by artificial light at night creates drasticeffects on most organisms by changing their behavior and fragmenting their habitat. Artificial light at night makes it hard for many species to feed and mate, and it is especially dangerous to insects and migrating birds. Approximately 30% of vertebrates and 60% of invertebrates are nocturnal, meaning they biologically depend on darkness. Human health is also adversely affected – we need darkness, too - artificial light at night has been linked to serious health issues including cancer, diabetes, and psychological disorders.
Scotobiology shows us that darkness is essential for much of life on earth. The science is clear - it really does matter how we light the night. Shielding your light, pointing it down, and only using light when necessary and for a specific purpose can reduce the harmful effects we are having on those around us whose lives depend on the natural night. And at the same time, we can protect and restore our wonderful view of the starry night sky that we are lucky enough to enjoy here in Western Colorado.
An old familiar adage states, “you don’t know what you got until its gone.” Let’s not let our amazing view of the night sky slip away. Please do your part by doing your lightright.
You can learn more at darksky.org.
Western Slope Skies is produced by the Black Canyon Astronomical Society and KVNF community radio.
