This story is part of a series called "After Dark." Find other stories in the series here.
The longest night of the year will be on Dec. 21, the winter solstice. For about a century, Earth’s nights have not been as dark as they once were because of artificial lighting including street lights, neon signs and car headlights.
In this installment of our “After Dark,” series, we hear from Boise State University professor, Jesse Barber, who’s studying how lighter nights are affecting animals and insects and how an experiment in Grand Teton National Park could mitigate the effects of light pollution.
Here are a few things you can do to lessen light pollution:
- Turn indoor and outdoor lights off when you're not using them, especially at night
- Connect outdoor lighting to timers and motion detectors so they're only on when necessary
- Buy lighting that is approved by the International Dark-Sky Association
- Avoid driving at night
- Make sure outdoor lighting is hooded and downward facing
- Avoid decorative outdoor lighting by making sure all lights have a practical purpose
- LED lights use less energy, but make sure they are in the warm spectrum to mitigate the effects of white and blue lighting, which disrupt nighttime circadian rhythms
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