The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) released the “Artificial Light at Night: State of the Science 2022” report, earlier this month. It is a high-level overview of the best scientific understanding of how artificial light at night affects the nighttime environment. It finds the world transformed by electric light in less than 150 years since its introduction.
IDA’s goal in issuing the report is to empower dark-sky advocates and the public with reliable, factual, understandable information about light pollution. “State Of The Science 2022” condenses the current scientific consensus on how artificial light affects seven key topics:
- the night sky;
- wildlife and ecology;
- human health;
- public safety;
- energy use and climate change;
- social justice; and
- a discussion of the emerging threat from light pollution caused by objects orbiting the Earth.
Where gaps exist in the science, the report highlights them as targets of future research. Read the full report, here.
