The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life

Ecologist Eklöf (Bats) bemoans the loss of darkness in this eye-opening treatise on light pollution. Such pollution is growing by an estimated 2% every year, he writes, and most of that light “spills out into the sky” and causes ecological damage. Citing gleaming metropolises such as Hong Kong and Singapore as well as tourist meccas like Las Vegas, Eklöf cautions that excess light can be linked to health problems in humans—sleep problems, depression, cancer—and also tampers with nature’s biological clocks and ecosystems. In Stockholm, for instance, urban lighting has led blackbirds to sing spring mating songs all the way through November, and glowing street lamps in the U.K. have lured male fireflies away from less-bright mates. As well, Eklöf describes dung beetles that use moonlight for navigation, plunges into the night sea to witness bioluminescent creatures’ “fireworks of blue light,” and marvels at night vision in cats. It’s all in service of his argument that people should “protect the darkness,” in part by turning off lights, venturing out in the dark at night, and imploring local politicians to fight against light pollution. Urgent and vivid, this account shines. Agent: Paul Sebes, Sebes & Bisseling Literary. (Feb.)