School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK.
Centre for Geography, Environment and Society, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
Glob Chang Biol. 2018 Mar;24(3):872-882. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13927. Epub 2017 Nov 10.
The environmental impacts of artificial light at night have been a rapidly growing field of global change science in recent years. Yet, light pollution has not achieved parity with other global change phenomena in the level of concern and interest it receives from the scientific community, government and nongovernmental organizations. This is despite the globally widespread, expanding and changing nature of night-time lighting and the immediacy, severity and phylogenetic breath of its impacts. In this opinion piece, we evidence 10 reasons why artificial light at night should be a focus for global change research in the 21st century. Our reasons extend beyond those concerned principally with the environment, to also include impacts on human health, culture and biodiversity conservation more generally. We conclude that the growing use of night-time lighting will continue to raise numerous ecological, human health and cultural issues, but that opportunities exist to mitigate its impacts by combining novel technologies with sound scientific evidence. The potential gains from appropriate management extend far beyond those for the environment, indeed it may play a key role in transitioning towards a more sustainable society.
近年来，夜间人工光对环境的影响已成为全球变化科学中一个迅速发展的领域。然而，与其他全球变化现象相比，光污染并没有得到科学界、政府和非政府组织同等程度的关注和重视。尽管夜间照明在全球范围内广泛存在、不断扩展和变化，其影响具有即时性、严重性和系统发育广度，但情况确实如此。在这篇观点文章中，我们提出了 10 个理由，说明为什么夜间人工光应该成为 21 世纪全球变化研究的重点。我们的理由不仅涉及环境，还包括对人类健康、文化和生物多样性保护的更广泛影响。我们的结论是，夜间照明的使用日益增加将继续引发许多生态、人类健康和文化问题，但通过将新技术与可靠的科学证据相结合，有机会减轻其影响。适当管理带来的潜在收益远远超出了环境方面，实际上，它可能在向更可持续的社会转型方面发挥关键作用。
