The Darkness Manifesto: How light pollution threatens the ancient rhythms of life

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The vague yet powerful associations that we all harbour about darkness, often equating it with fear or evil, are turned completely on their head by Eklöf. The book’s accessible science is delivered with a lyrical and personal perspective on nature. The poetic writing style and non-fiction appeal ensure that there is something for everyone, regardless of academic degree or prior interests. En intressant och viktig bok! Hur vi alla kan göra skillnad genom att tänka på hur vi använder belysning omkring oss. Och att vi inte ska vara rädda för mörkret utan ta det till och stressa ner. The Darkness Manifesto lifts night's veil to reveal the domino effect of damage we inflict by keeping the lights on: insects failing to reproduce, plants left unpollinated, countless hunting and migratory patterns eroded. Eye-opening and ultimately encouraging, this book offers simple steps that can benefit ourselves and the planet. Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration

The world's flora and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night. But constant illumination has made light pollution a major issue. From space, our planet glows brightly, 24/7. By extending our day, we have forced out the inhabitants of the night and disrupted the circadian rhythms necessary to sustain all living things. Our cities' streetlamps and neon signs are altering entire ecosystems. But because I argue that more data and information do not lead directly to action—and population data are not an exception to this belief—I must provide a mental model that might help us build local, national, and even international coalitions around environmental preservation. A wide-ranging exploration of humanity’s troubled relationship with darkness, and the damaging effects of our drive to overcome it.” — The New York Times

Eklöf introduces the term "light pollution" early on here, noting that it was only used by astronomers until just recently: Eye-opening and ultimately encouraging, The Darkness Manifesto offers simple steps that can benefit ourselves and the planet.

We have always feared darkness. It is a primal anxiety, founded on apprehensions of lurking predators. No wonder that as soon as technology permitted, we pushed the night away with light. The appearance of electric lighting during the late nineteenth century, in particular, unleashed unrestrained nocturnal brilliance. Our night-time radiances around the globe are now visible from space. Lauren Graham: 'Why are men still surprised they like Gilmore Girls?' 24 November, 2023 The 20 best children’s books for Christmas 2023 24 November, 2023 How They Broke Britain by James O'Brien is full of anger - and not much else 23 November, 2023 Why do we try to abolish the dark? No doubt there are often powerful economic interests at work, wanting to squeeze more productive hours out of the day. And some of the explanation lies in our modern addictions. Screens, which have attained almost total mastery of most of us, annihilate the dark. More than 80 per cent of those between fifteen and twenty-nine take their phones to bed. Many bedrooms are dominated by a television. No doubt, too, atavism is at work. At some level we fear that if the lights go off we’ll be at the mercy of the sabre-toothed tigers which prowled through the infancy of our species and now prowl through our unconscious. But I suspect there’s something deeper and less curable going on even than the dread of being eaten. I think we fear what the uninterrupted dark will show us of ourselves. And, even worse, we have abolished the dark because we can.The Darkness Manifesto was an interesting look into the topic. The importance of darkness for all living creatures is something that not many of us think about. However, all life has an inborn circadian rhythm that plays an incredibly important role in our biological processes. For the first time in history, the industrial revolution has allowed man to keep his urban centers lit 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, this ubiquitous light is wreaking havoc with many creatures; from beetles, to bats, to sea turtles, and many more...