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#LightPollution from #StreetLamps linked to #InsectLoss

"There are practical solutions that don't compromise public safety, they say, including dimming streetlights in the early hours, fitting motion sensors or using colour filters to cut out the most harmful wavelengths."

25 August 2021
By Helen Briggs

"Scientists say light pollution may be contributing to 'worrying' declines in insects seen in recent decades.

"In a UK study, artificial street lights were found to disrupt the behaviour of nocturnal #moths, reducing #caterpillars numbers by half.

"Modern #LED #streetlights appeared to have the biggest impact.

"There is growing evidence that #insect populations are shrinking due to the likes of climate change, habitat loss and pesticides.

"Factors are complex and varied, including the steady loss of #forests, #heathlands, #meadows and #marshes, overuse of #pesticides, #ClimateChange and #pollution of rivers and lakes.

"The use of artificial lights at night-time has been proposed as another driver of insect decline, although the scale remains unclear.

"The researchers say their study, published in Science Advances, is the strongest evidence yet that light pollution can have detrimental impacts on local insect populations, with consequences for the birds and other wildlife that rely on caterpillars for food.

"'In a local setting we can now be quite confident that light pollution is important, but what's less clear is if we're looking at a whole landscape,' said lead researcher Douglas Boyes of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

"'If insects are in trouble - as we believe they are, and have evidence to support that - perhaps we should be doing all we can to reduce these negative influences.'"

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58333233