We all have heard about land, air and noise pollution but have you ever heard about light pollution? You would probably not have because, in earlier years, light pollution was not such a considerable issue, but now, since the demand for artificial light has increased to a greater extent, this is something that shall not be ignored. We all love to illuminate our houses, workplaces, and outdoors with fancy LED light, but are we aware of the adverse effects they are causing to the wildlife?
Back in 2011, in the global lighting market, LEDs made a small part of 9% only, but by 2020, it is expected that this rate will drastically increase to 68% due to the massive demand for LED lights. A vast number of wildlife species require natural light to perform their processes, such as feeding, mating, sleeping cycles, travel routes, and pollination. But, artificial light shave started to interfere with the natural lights, which has become the sole reason for disorienting the wildlife animals and leading to their fatalities.
You must be wondering how animals can die from artificial light, no? Well, several birds get disoriented from artificial lights coming from the buildings, lose their regular flight route, collide with the huge buildings, and unfortunately, the little being dies. Many animals need darkness at night. However, we might not know what they need and hence leave a light switched on at night, but it also becomes a way of disorientation for animals.
The infographic below sheds light on the adverse effects of artificial light on wildlife and how we can save our fellow living beings from being harmed.
