Alaskans fight to dim the lights

At a private residence in downtown Anchorage on Jan. 29, a small group of individuals gathered for the first time and formed Alaska Dark Skies, an organization that aims to reduce light pollution in Alaska.

A few people attended the meeting from around the state via Zoom, while others sat in the living room and discussed their hopes of getting UAA and UAF involved. During the meeting, Alaska Dark Skies made plans to collaborate on their efforts with the Anchorage Museum Planetarium.

The Northern Light interviewed Harrison Smith, a local organizer who hosted the event, about the impact of light pollution.

“We see the disruption to birds and their migratory paths,” he said.

“We’ve seen insect populations plummeting in recent years, and you know, nobody knows the entire reason why, but light is definitely considered one of the reasons,” said Smith.

According to Smith, there is evidence that excessive light at night has various effects on human health.

“It's not just aesthetics,” he said.

“The American Medical Association published a report linking excessive light at night to sleep disruption, which is probably the most obvious,” said Smith. “It also affects the endocrine system by disrupting melatonin production, and you see that being linked to certain types of cancer.”

He said that groups with less of a voice experience a larger share of the impact and that the Fairview neighborhood has a large amount of light pollution.

Smith said, “In many places, it's excessive — there's light trespass into people's homes.”

He said the levels of light are significantly above what is recommended by national organizations.

“It's been sold as a way to make places safer, but there are harmful effects of taking it to such a level,” he said.

According to Smith, excessive amounts of light often casts deep shadows rather than illuminate an area, which is counterproductive.

Smith said resource consumption is another concern, as excessive resources are used when light is cast in places where it's not needed.

He also commented on Alaska Dark Skies’ goals as an organization.

“I’d say we hope to influence policies,” said Smith. “We certainly seek to educate, we seek to raise awareness and appreciation of the night sky — the wonders of the stars are such an intrinsic part of our history and our legacy as people.”

Smith said the group will meet again on Feb. 18, and information on the upcoming meeting can be obtained through the group's email — akdarkskies@gmail.com.