Recent research has confirmed that increasing urbanisation, alongside the installation of new streetlights and decorative lighting systems, is contributing to light pollution. According to studies, this pollution is significantly altering the behaviour of nocturnal creatures. What is light pollution, and what are its effects? Excessive use of artificial lighting is termed light pollution. It poses a serious threat to nocturnal wildlife, negatively affecting both plant and animal physiology. It can confuse migratory patterns, disrupt predator-prey dynamics, and cause physiological harm.

Humans, too, are affected. Our circadian rhythm—a sleep-wake pattern governed by the natural day-night cycle—can be disrupted by artificial light at night, increasing the risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and gastrointestinal conditions. Lighting is responsible for at least one-quarter of global electricity consumption, and over-illumination, especially upward-directed lighting at night, constitutes energy wastage. When light pollution hides the stars, we easily forget that we live on a planet spinning through space. The greatest show on Earth is the stars. There should be a day each year when we turn off all city lights and admire the unfiltered night sky.

MUHAMMAD NAEEM,

Karachi.