| Since the discovery of fire, humankind has illuminated the night as a way to both increase nocturnal visibility and decrease fear. With the advent of the electric light and cheap electricity, this impulse has been taken to new extremes. When artificial nocturnal lighting is excessive it becomes light pollution.;Light pollution costs taxpayers millions of dollars, increases carbon emissions, decreases the visibility of the night sky, adversely affects human health, and disturbs sensitive ecosystems. This thesis brings together research from diverse fields to explain what light pollution is and why it is a significant problem deserving of additional research and inquiry within the field of Geography. |
