The light pollution atlas

Light pollution has negative effects on our health and the natural habitat, but despite this, not enough efforts have been made to measure the problem on a global scale. To answer this, a study published by the journal ScienceAdvances has led to a comprehensive atlas of brightness artificial night, measuring and comparing the intensity of electric light around the world. The conclusions are not very positive: 99% of the population in Europe and the US live under light-polluted skies, and 60% of Europeans and 80% of Americans cannot see the Milky Way at night. .

In addition to the waste of energy consumption, in many cities in Europe, America and Asia, the excess brightness is enough to impede or delay our natural physiological transition to nighttime, and the problem is spreading in developing countries. development. The light inside our houses and buildings, as well as street lighting, breaks our normal “circadian” cycle, which translates into health problems. Excess light also causes serious problems in biodiversity and biofauna, such as migratory birds or marine mammals, for example.

To meet the need to save energy, many of our streets have opted for white LED light, but white LED light can have a pernicious effect as it contains a higher proportion of the “blue” element than It is the most rapidly diffused through the atmosphere. For this reason, a good design of the luminaire must be made and take advantage of the LEDs in terms of a better direction of the light flow, and the versatility that they can offer for a better adaptation to the light needs of each moment of the day. day and our biological clock.