This story is part of a series called "After Dark." .
The longest night of the year will be on Dec. 21, the winter solstice. For about a century, Earth鈥檚 nights have not been as dark as they once were because of artificial lighting that comes from sources like street lights, neon signs and car headlights.
In this installment of our 鈥淎fter Dark,鈥� series, we hear from Boise State University professor,, who鈥檚 studying how lighter nights are affecting animals and insects and how could mitigate the effects of light pollution.
Here are a few things you can do to lessen light pollution :
- Turn indoor and outdoor lights off when you're not using them, especially at night
- Connect outdoor lighting to timers and motion detectors so they're only on when necessary
- Buy lighting that is
- Avoid driving at night
- Make sure
- Avoid decorative outdoor lighting by making sure all lights have a practical purpose
- LED lights use less energy, but make sure they are in the warm spectrum to mitigate the effects of white and blue lighting, which
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