What are the causes of light pollution and how does it affect us?

Light pollution comes from the use of artificial light in hours of darkness. But the way in which lighting at night has been conceived in the vast majority of public spaces has resulted in a series of consequences that could well have been avoided if it had been used intelligently and efficiently. You just need to ask yourself, when was the last time you were able to see the stars above the sky in your town or city?

What is light pollution considered to be?

There are two trends when it comes to establishing exactly what light pollution is. The first defines it as the introduction of any artificial light that causes damage to the environment. The second defines light pollution as the emission of artificial light in hours of darkness with different intensities, directions and frequencies that are not needed for the activities that take place in the area. The second description includes the variety of lights that are used in the same space or area.

So we could say that the first wave even defines the lighting you really need such as that you use to light your home as light pollution. Because if it is necessary, it has an impact on the environment. The second definition focusses on unnecessary lighting, such as that used to illuminate monuments at night.

Causes of light pollution

Ever since human beings discovered fire, they have used artificial lighting to survive and improve the quality of their lives. Lighting provides greater security at night and even the darkest hours can be productive.

But the increasingly frequent use of light at night has now become abusive. It poses a threat to the environment and contributes to wasting energy for no good reason. A number of studies have been made that show that light pollution increased by 9.6% between 2011 and 2022 for no apparent reason.

Negative effects of light pollution

We have been causing light pollution without taking into account the negative effects that can harm our well-being and our health.

• It makes it difficult to observe the universe: Light pollution prevents astronomers from studying the sky, it makes it difficult to obtain information that is essential to deepen our knowledge of physics, chemistry and the origin of our planet. But it does not only affect professionals, it is increasingly difficult to find anywhere near our homes where we can just watch the stars.
• Disruptions in the biological rhythm: Light pollution affects our health because it affects our circadian cycles. It not only affects natural processes (causing physical, mental and behavioural changes) but also the development of diseases such as cancer.
• It affects night driving: Unsuitable lighting causes glare and results in traffic accidents at night, since the beams from headlights are sometimes not well oriented or calibrated.
• Alterations in the behaviour of living creatures. From putting pollination at risk to driving endangered species to extinction. Light pollution affects the migratory cycles, orientation and mating of many species.
• It is inefficient: Light pollution is a waste of energy and money, since it uses energy for lighting that is not needed. It contributes to global warming and a country's energy consumption.

How can light pollution be avoided?

The key to reducing light pollution lies in energy efficiency, which involves avoiding the waste of lighting and energy use. The regulated use of lighting in large urban centres and the search for alternatives to traditional lighting can be key to a commitment to lighting with awareness and common sense.

For example, in many cities lampposts have already been installed with a small visor on top that prevents light from being projected into the sky, as well as using LED lights in urban areas, and the restriction of lighting for decorative purposes such as shops and monuments.

But at home you can also help reduce light pollution by making responsible use of lighting. Here are some simple tips:

• Avoid turning on lights unnecessarily. For example, in garden or terrace areas where nobody is doing anything.
• Keep an eye on how powerful your lights are and adjust them to your needs to avoid excess lighting. You will not only protect the environment, you will avoid dazzling your neighbours and look after your eyesight.
• If you are lighting up outdoor areas, look for lamps with designs that minimise light pollution, such as LED lights or solar lights.

Endesa offers you our exclusive InfoEnergía service, which provides you with detailed, customised information on your consumption. This will help you identify your consumption peaks and make a commitment to efficiency.

There must surely be activities that could be done using natural light which means you can avoid turning on lights unnecessarily so you do not disturb your hours of rest and you can take advantage of that little time to relax.

Countries that produce the most light pollution

According to a study in the Science journal, published in 2016, the most light-polluted country in the world is Singapore. The population suffers from a night sky that is so bright that people's eyes have lost the ability to adapt to darkness. The next on the list is Kuwait (with 98% of the population under an extremely bright sky), followed by Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

In the case of these countries, there are two specific reasons why light pollution reaches these percentages: Most of the population lives in large cities and the economy depends on the oil extraction industry which needs a high level of lighting at night.

Light pollution in Europe

There are 5 European countries among the top 20 in the world for light pollution: Greece, Gibraltar, Malta, Spain and Iceland.

Light pollution in Spain

In Spain there are no specific regulations to prevent light pollution, unlike in neighbouring countries like Italy and France. The distribution of the population, concentrated in large cities and on the Mediterranean coast, encourages the light pollution model, with the result that 41.5% of people in Spain live under an extremely bright sky. However, large cities are slowly becoming aware of the waste of energy waste with the current model and are beginning to take measures to combat this phenomenon.