A bill was recently introduced in the California legislature addressing a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, one that you probably encounter every day- or rather, every night: light pollution. AB-1710 proposes to limit the most harmful types of light pollution- blue-violet light. Understanding the importance of this policy requires understanding the science behind it. 

 

If you've ever seen moths flying around porch lights, you are probably familiar with the fact that moths are attracted to artificial light at night (ALAN). But did you know that this "flight to light" behavior disrupts their normal feeding and mating activities, and puts them at increased risk of predation?  In fact, light pollution is bad for all kinds of organisms: birds, sea turtles, and even humans! Because of the way it disrupts normal melatonin production, excessive light from streetlights, billboards, sports fields, and parking lots has been linked to a host of serious human health conditions including obesity and breast cancer. 

 

 While state and local policies have targeted another unfortunate aspect of light pollution--its heavy fossil fuel toll--by mandating the transition to more energy-efficient LEDs, these policies come at a price for human and environmental health. They ignore the fact that the most widely-used LEDs actually emit much more of the most harmful blue-violet light. But there is a science-backed solution! Read my Op-Ed and Policy Brief below to learn more about what policymakers and the general public can do to solve this pressing environmental issue.