Editing Light pollution (section)

{{Short description|Excess artificial light in an environment}}
{{About|light pollution in the visible spectrum|pollution in the radio spectrum|radio spectrum pollution|other uses}}
[[File:Melbourne (AU), Melbourne City Centre -- 2019 -- 1530-4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Light pollution over [[Melbourne]], Australia]]
{{Pollution sidebar|Electromagnetic}}
'''Light pollution''' is the presence of any unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial [[Visible spectrum|lighting]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Light Pollution|url=https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/|access-date=2021-06-26|website=International Dark-Sky Association|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525174049/https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Keith T. |last2=Lopez |first2=Bianca |last3=Vignieri |first3=Sacha |last4=Wible |first4=Brad |title=Losing the darkness |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |date=2023 |volume=380 |issue=6650 |pages=1116–1117 |doi=10.1126/science.adi4552 |pmid=37319220 |bibcode=2023Sci...380.1116S |doi-access=free}}</ref> In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting sources, during the day or night. Light pollution can be understood not only as a phenomenon resulting from a specific source or kind of pollution, but also as a contributor to the wider, collective impact of various sources of pollution.

Although this type of pollution can exist throughout the day, its effects are magnified during the night with the contrast of the sky's darkness. It has been estimated that 83% of the world's people live under light-polluted skies and that 23% of the world's land area is affected by [[skyglow]].<ref name="NWA" /><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2018/there-goes-night |first=Stephanie |last=Pain |title=There goes the night |journal=Knowable Magazine |date=March 23, 2018 |publisher=[[Annual Reviews (publisher)|Annual Reviews]] |doi=10.1146/knowable-032218-043601 |doi-access=free |access-date=March 26, 2018 |archive-date=March 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311010733/https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2018/there-goes-night |url-status=live }}</ref>
The area affected by artificial illumination continues to increase.<ref name="Kyba">{{cite journal |last1=Kyba |first1=Christopher C. M. |last2=Kuester |first2=Theres |last3=Sánchez de Miguel |first3=Alejandro |last4=Baugh |first4=Kimberly |last5=Jechow |first5=Andreas |last6=Hölker |first6=Franz |last7=Bennie |first7=Jonathan |last8=Elvidge |first8=Christopher D. |last9=Gaston |first9=Kevin J. |last10=Guanter |first10=Luis |title=Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent |journal=Science Advances |date=November 2017 |volume=3 |issue=11 |pages=e1701528 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.1701528 |pmid=29181445 |pmc=5699900 |bibcode=2017SciA....3E1528K }}</ref> A major side effect of [[urbanization]], light pollution is blamed for compromising health, disrupting ecosystems, and spoiling aesthetic environments. Studies show that urban areas are more at risk.<ref name="Han-2014">{{Cite journal |last1=Han |first1=Pengpeng |last2=Huang |first2=Jinliang |last3=Li |first3=Rendong |last4=Wang |first4=Lihui |last5=Hu |first5=Yanxia |last6=Wang |first6=Jiuling |last7=Huang |first7=Wei |date=16 June 2014 |title=Monitoring Trends in Light Pollution in China Based on Nighttime Satellite Imagery |journal=Remote Sensing |language=en |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=5541–5558 |doi=10.3390/rs6065541 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2014RemS....6.5541H |issn=2072-4292}}</ref> Globally, it has increased by at least 49% from 1992 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sánchez de Miguel |first1=Alejandro |last2=Bennie |first2=Jonathan |last3=Rosenfeld |first3=Emma |last4=Dzurjak |first4=Simon |last5=Gaston |first5=Kevin J. |date=January 2021 |title=First Estimation of Global Trends in Nocturnal Power Emissions Reveals Acceleration of Light Pollution |journal=Remote Sensing |language=en |volume=13 |issue=16 |pages=3311 |doi=10.3390/rs13163311 |bibcode=2021RemS...13.3311S |issn=2072-4292|doi-access=free |hdl=10261/255323 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Light pollution is caused by inefficient or unnecessary use of artificial light. Specific categories of light pollution include light trespass, over-illumination, glare, light clutter, and skyglow. A single offending light source often falls into more than one of these categories.<ref name="Kaushik-2022" /><ref name="Chepesiuk-2009" />

Solutions to light pollution are often easy steps like adjusting light fixtures or using more appropriate light bulbs. Further remediation can be done with more efforts to educate the public in order to push legislative change.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zielińska-Dabkowska |first1=Karolina M. |last2=Xavia |first2=Kyra |last3=Bobkowska |first3=Katarzyna |date=2020 |title=Assessment of Citizens' Actions against Light Pollution with Guidelines for Future Initiatives |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=12 |issue=12 |pages=4997 |doi= 10.3390/su12124997|doi-access=free |bibcode=2020Sust...12.4997Z |issn= }}</ref> However, because it is a man-made phenomenon, addressing its impacts on humans and the environment has political, social, and economic considerations.