You have been in the air for 16 hours, flying nonstop over vast expanses of land and water. While you haven’t completely burned through your winter stores of fat, your muscles ache, you are gasping a little harder for air, and the tailwind that had been pushing you along at nearly 40 miles per hour has begun to swing around towards your face. It is now dark, and thin high clouds, combined with mysterious lights that seem to come from below, have begun to obscure the view of the stars that now guide your course. This is the most dangerous time of your annual trek, and you can sense that. You push on, experience and instinct driving you now, working to overcome the tired body and the growing hunger in your gut. Suddenly, a burst of noise to your right, as dozens of your traveling companion’s chatter. Glancing towards them, you see what has attracted their attention — a dim but growing glow on the horizon. A memory; this has been there before, but never this bright so early. This is a mark that your destination is close, the long trip will be over soon as you fly past this patch of light towards the forest you have always stopped at. However, another bit of knowledge is where there is light in the dark, there is often food in the form of insects, and it is brighter than you remember. Some of your companions have already veered off, leaving their arrow-straight course and heading towards the temptation. As the wind finishes its turn, and your wings start to beat heavier to maintain pace, the prospect of a meal and perhaps a few hours of rest pulls at you. You follow those headed towards the glow.
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For most of Earth’s existence, the majority of surface life here developed to revolve around a diurnal cycle of light and dark. We evolved to gather, hunt, grow, build, and move during daylight, and recover during the night. Even as candles, and then oil, light was developed, humanity and the world largely maintained their day and night dance. Then, the electric light came, and everything changed. Today, light pollution is one of the fastest-growing forms of pollution on the planet. Growing at a rate twice that of population growth, it is estimated that 80% of the world lives under light-polluted skies. That figure is an astounding 99% for Europe and North America and Europe, where many of us have never been able to look up and see such a basic night sky staple as the beauty of the Milky Way. Beyond losing the wonder a dark sky can provide, there are very real negative consequences of the deployment of artificial light at night (ALAN). This pollution contributes to poor health in humans, disrupting our circadian rhythms, increasing the rates of diabetes, obesity, and cancer, along with increased mental health issues. Light pollution is also a component of environmental justice, as poorer areas are often brighter lit, under the false assumption that more lights equal less crime, and due to the concentration of industry also seen in such areas.
The effects on the rest of the natural world can be even worse. Birdlife, in particular, especially those whose yearly cycles are defined by migration, can suffer in the face of blinding artificial light at night. According to the National Audubon Society, 70% of all bird species in North America migrate, and 80% of those do so during nighttime hours. Light pollution from large urban areas, many of which in North America are located along major flyways, can cause disorientation from their skyglow, leading to exhaustion or collisions with buildings. As reported by the BBC in 2021, an estimated 100 million to one billion birds die in the U.S.A. alone as a direct result of light pollution. Yet of all the other environmental pressures facing birds (and animal life in general), nighttime light pollution is one that, at least on the surface, has a relatively easy solution. To that end, the National Audubon Society set out to do something about it, and in 1999 established the first “Lights Out” program in Chicago. Lights Out programs work with cities, businesses, and residents to establish a period of time during evening hours where the community will reduce the light output from the outdoor fixtures in an effort to reduce the hazard to airborne birds. A study conducted by Cornell between 2010 and 2016, focusing on the 9/11 “Pillars of Light” memorial at the World Trade Center site, determined that even turning off these power beams of light for 20-30 minutes was long enough to reduce the number of birds attracted to the area. Armed with the success of Chicago, and statistical proof sees studies such as this, the National Audubon Society expanded the effort, and now there are dozens of Lights Out Programs across the United States.
The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is the world’s leading entity in education on the negative of, and advocacy to help correct, the pollution that is artificial light at night. We have been working towards a darker sky since 1988, and believe that the night sky, filled with stars, should be celebrated and protected around the world as a shared heritage benefitting all living things. That being said, we try to tell people that we are not looking to turn out all the lights, just light smarter, and only where absolutely needed. One of our core values is to establish enduring relationships to find solutions that benefit everyone. With that in mind, in the fall of 2020, the IDA officially joined forces with the National Audubon Society to help further develop Lights Out programs and promote the benefits of proper use of environmentally friendly night lighting. As the local representative of IDA, North Dakota Dark Skies, I have been working slowly over the last two years to introduce the issues, start a dialogue on possible solutions, and forge those relationships which will be critical to archive success. You can find information about our local efforts, and information on national programs, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under the handle @NDDarkSkies.
Audubon Dakota and North Dakota Dark Skies are hoping to combine our talents and contacts to promote a local Lights Out campaign in 2022. I have reached out and started an initial dialogue with city leaders in Fargo, and will be starting to publish information on the idea of Lights Out on social media soon. While exact dates have not been set, International Dark Sky Week is April 22-30, Earth Day is April 22, and these dates and others will be discussed with local leaders as possible dark sky campaign dates. Stay tuned to North Dakota Dark Sky and Audubon Dakota information channels for more information. Together we can make a difference for our bird and human friends, and all it takes is reducing a little light at night.
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As your group pushes toward the brilliance of light ahead, suddenly the entire patch grows dim. With that, the night sky above once more becomes just visible enough for your brain to reorient itself, and you realize you have been heading off course. You will never know what happened, but you have friends in that patch of light, friends that were working to make sure you got to where you needed to be. All they had to do was flip a switch. In the nick of time, you issue the call and pull your wingmates back towards their spring and summer home, and safety.
Patrick Sommer
North Dakota Dark Skies (@NDDarkSkies)
nddarkskies@gmail.com
