Light pollution

Light pollution is caused by inappropriate street lighting,

aggressively lighted billboards, monuments and buildings. To
decrease and limit the lighting of those structures a decree
entitled ‘’Uredba o mejnih vrednostih svetlobnega
onesnaževanja okolja’’ has been issued and will take full effect
in 2012, until then a five year plan about adapting the public
lights was accepted by Slovenian government in 2007. In the
mean time, we must face the consequences of light pollution on
economy, nature and health.

Economically looking, the consequences are due by the

unshaded lights shining into outer space, consuming up to
300% more electricity and funds actually needed for a safe-
light. Thus the use of electricity is 200% above the calculated
normal, spending millions of Euros of the tax payers’ money.

The lights disturb the natural biorhythm of flora and fauna’s

night life, thus terminating the lives of many night-active bugs,
birds and plants. Heavy street lights cause the death of 100
million birds each year, forcing them to circle around and hit
buildings until they are too exhausted to go on.

Night lights also affect the human biological clock, disturbing

the creation of the melatonin hormone, thus creating a health
hazard. Melatonin is also known as the ‘’happiness hormone’’, it
can only be created in a small part of human brain, while the
human is in total darkness and sound asleep. It is a strong
antioxidant hormone, that a human body uses for cell
maintenance in order to prevent mutations that can lead to
breast, intestinal and prostate cancer.

In conclusion, light pollution is a serious matter that will affect

the future of the Earth and its habitants if left unattended; it
affects economy, nature and health of everyone on the planet.
The dark sky is a treasure we received from our ancestors and
it is a part of the planet; in our opinion, it is our duty to preserve
it for future generations, while preserving the life on earth as
well. Support our cause by getting more informed on:
http://www.temnonebo.org/ .

Dark Sky of Slovenia.