THE INSIDIOUSLY NEGATIVE IMPACT OF OUR
CONVENIENCE DRIVEN, BOTTOM-LINE-
POWER HUNGRY LIFESTYLE
We humans take pride in lighting up the night. Glamorous cities are glowing with neon lights. We can see some of them from many miles away. We have conquered the darkness. As with everything artificial, it has consequences. I like us to look at artificial lighting from the angles of convenience, the bottom-line and our need for power. Indeed it gives us a sense of power to conquer the night, the darkness, and the sinister things lurking there. The bottom-line of course weaves itself through the power plants who supply the lighting, as well as the stores, restaurants and hotels which can stay open late to make money due to the lighting. Yes, it is most convenient to go to places at any time of the day or study or work late into the night for various reasons. Have we asked on how this constant artificial lighting effects us and other life forms?
There have been some studies which have
started giving us insight. I like to gather some of these insights in
this blog entry so that in the end we may ask ourselves questions,
such as would we be willing to change at least for our own sake? In
a documentary “The City Dark” I heard that our extreme city
lighting causes animals to become disoriented. For example thousands
of sea turtles who use highland beach as nesting ground, who hedge
and then would move toward the sea guided by the star light, instead,
get turned around and move toward the city lights and die in the
process. The turtles only have a few minutes to get to the ocean
before they are dehydrated or get eaten by predators. Many birds
encounter similar problems. The lit up cities confuse the birds which
navigate by the stars and they end up flying into the canyons of
skyscrapers and buildings and millions of them die.1
However, that alone is not the main
problem. We are under the illusion that all these lights are not
harmful to humans. There have been findings that the quality and
quantity of illumination individuals receive and the time of day is
crucial to their well being. Poor artificial lighting (and exposure
to light while sleeping) is linked to incidences of stress, poor
health and reduced life span.
The upper layers of the skin absorb
most of the radiation and visible light they receive, penetrating
deep down into the dermis.2
An increasing number of studies suggest that artificial light has
adverse effects on human health. The light throws off the circadian
rhythm. The hormone melatonin which is produced to promote drowsiness
and sleep when the sun sets, gets out of balance. Cell division also
follows circadian rhythm. Damage to cell division is characteristic
of cancer!3
- Do the math!
Sleep deprivation reduces insulin
sensitivity. The aggravation of other health issues and social
problems are implicated to fluorescent light, such as: Aggression,
ALS, Attention Deficit, Autism, Cancer, reduced concentration.
Confusion. Diabetes, dermatitis, dizziness, Eczema, Epilepsy, Eye
irritation, Fatigue, headaches, hyperactivity, irritability, learning
difficulties, Lupus, reduced muscle strength, MS, nausea etc.4
Type of Lights5 and their impact Pink fluorescent Day light white fluorescent Full spectrum plastic glazing Natural outdoor daylight |
Average lifespan of C3H Mice 7.5 months 8.2 months 15.6 months 16.1 months |
This study should make us think on how
these lights effect us. This then leads to the next step in expanding
our thinking. Rarely do we ask questions on how what we do effects
our children.
“Leading Australian researcher
Professor Shanta Rajaratnam says there is growing evidence, that the
night-time use of portable digital devices is likely to compound the
problems associated with artificial lighting.'We think that the
advent of electric lighting has significantly impacted our sleep-wake
patterns, but with the proliferation of electronic devices that emit
light, we are expecting that these problems will increase' said
Professor Rajaratnam from Monash University's school of Psychology
and Psychiatry. A recent study in the United States showed that
devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets emit approximately
30 to 50 lux, about half the illumination of an ordinary room
light...........this level of emission, 30 to 50 lux, is sufficient
over a week or so to delay the timing of the circadian clock as well
as suppress the production of the hormone melatonin.”6
How many hours does your child spend
with those devises, particularly in the evening? Professor Rajaratnam
recommends that these devices should be shut down two hours or at
least one hour before bedtime. Now that we have gone from bigger
devices to hand held devices we have taken these lights to bed, a
place for rest. Of course it is convenient to have these devises
right on hand, on the night stand and just about anywhere we go. It
is also a matter of power to have information at our finger tips.
However, with this life style we may also pay dearly, more than we
are ready to give. The same is with TV. Some people fall asleep with
TV's on in a recliner, one of the worst unhealthy scenarios. No
wonder, individuals are sleep deprived. Our thoughts should then
progress outward to the community. Schools may also rethink in
asking their students to complete their work online. Students may
work late due to homework on these devices something that may need to
change.
We have ignorantly embraced something
that has harmful consequences, but if we continue after studies show
us what effects there are, than we ourselves are at fault if we and
our children are in ill health. Furthermore, if companies fight
researchers on this subject just to support the bottom line and make
as much money as possible, then they have a criminal mind and do not
have the benefit of our children in their mind. Too many companies
have sponsored so-called researches in other areas which contradicted
honest researches which uncovered uncomfortable truth. This must not
happen here. Our young people need their sleep and their health and
it is our responsibility to protect them. Convenience, power games
and the bottom-line must never be involved when it comes to our
children and youth.
Whether it is the light in
appliances or our buildings we have neglected several important
questions:
“If a civilization could not see the
stars and the universe, would they come to believe they are more
important because that is all they see?”8
(a harmful self importance!)
“Does the lack of contact with the
night sky do something to us that is very subtle.”9
“Is a lack of watching the stars
chewing away our sense of childlike wonderment?”10
“Is our lack of connectedness to the
starry sky building an ignorant civilization?
After all, each civilization up to now
build a science of things they needed to understand around the night
sky. If we lose the decoding of the universe above, will we close the
door that keeps the character of human kind intact?”11
Are convenience, power and the
bottom-line really worth it in the long run?
Sources:
1“The
City Dark” documentary (available on Netflix)
2ec.europa.eu/health
.../artificial light/.../index.htm
4http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/issues/cfl.php
5http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/issues/cfl.php
6http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-01/artificial-light-leading-to-increase-in-sleep-disorders/4790448
7“The
City Dark” documentary (see Netflix)
8“The
City Dark” documentary (see Netflix)
9“The
City Dark” documentary (see Netflix)
10“The
City Dark” documentary (see Netflix)
11“The
City Dark” documentary (see Netflix)
