Light Pollution An Earthquake Shook Los Angeles

Joel Barnett Claudia Moura Pols 1 Dec 1, 2014 Light Pollution In 1994, an earthquake shook Los Angeles, knocking out its power and leaving its inhabitants stranded in darkness. In the hours that followed the blackout, many anxious residents called local emergency centers to report seeing a strange â€Å"giant, silvery cloud† in the dark sky. According to Terence Dickinson in his book Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, some people even believed a â€Å"sudden brightening of the stars. . . had caused the quake.† It turns out that what the majority of Los Angeles was seeing for the first time was actually the Milky Way. In little over 100 years since Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb first illuminated a New York street, an†¦show more content†¦Nocturnal animals or animals that breed nocturnally are also adversely affected by manmade light. When young sea turtles hatch, they generally emerge from their sandy beach-shore nests at night, which increases their odds of avoiding detection by predat ors. As soon as they are out of their nest, they find the brightest horizon, and rush towards it. A CBS news article points out, â€Å"That should be moonlight over the ocean. Instead, many end up racing in the opposite direction, towards the headlights of cars and illuminated porches of beachfront homes.† Unfortunately, these misguided turtles are quickly killed by shore birds or dehydration. For a species that has a one in 1000 chance of reaching adulthood, light pollution is playing a major role in eliminating their existence. Even if sea turtle survival or stargazing isn’t high on our priority list, light pollution should still concern us. As humans, we are dependent on visual cues, so illumination of our nightscapes seems comfortable and necessary. However, unnatural nighttime lighting affects our circadian rhythm, or 24 hour day/night pattern. According to a 2009 Environmental Health Perspective article on the dangers of light pollution, â€Å"Disruption of the circadian clock is linked to several medical disorders in humans, including depression, insomnia, cardiovascularShow MoreRelatedIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesbegan as an attempt to determine more exactly the dialect of Abrahams material and hence the dialect in which the work could most profitably be continued. This work re-emphasizes the complex phonology of the southern Igbo dialects, already brought to light in the work of Carnochan (1948), Swift and others (1962), and Green and Igwe (1963) It will be seen that a common theme running through much of the work here surveyed is a pre-occupation with the dialect problem. Only the work of Abraham and WelmersRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageswater, and air of the planetary environment. From multinational corporations to impoverished peasants burning away the rain forest for land to plant their crops or pasture their cattle, he seeks to identify the specific agents responsible for both pollution and ecological degradation. And he tracks underlying trends and factors—such as rapid population growth, rampant consumerism, and global warfare—that have contributed to global climate change. Tucker concludes his rather pessimistic assessmentRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 Pages At the end of each chapter, there is a pedagogical feature that recapitulates the chapter’s subject matter: â€Å"The World of International Management—Revisited.† Here we pose several discussion questions based on the topic of the opening feature in light of the student’s entire reading of the chapter. Answering these questions requires readers to reconsider and to draw from the chapter material. Suggested answers to these â€Å"WIM—Revisited† discussion questions appear in the completely updated Instructor’s