Is artificial light poisoning the planet?
I recently got into astronomy with my kids and it has been particularly eye-opening how severe light pollution is.<p>It&#x27;s very strange to be in a relatively dim city (Victoria, BC) and not being able to see things it seems like I should be able to see. I know their apparent size in the sky and that my scope can magnify them enough to physically see them, but not enough light is coming through to out-shine the atmosphere above me.<p>It&#x27;s a bit unsettling to imagine how bad it is in large cities. There must be so many things in the sky that people can&#x27;t see with the naked eye that I take for granted. And yet, there are so many things I can&#x27;t see either.<p>The more I learn to appreciate the night sky, the more it saddens me. I&#x27;m both eager and a bit anxious to see a truly dark night sky; I&#x27;ll both become more aware of how bad the pollution really is, yet I&#x27;ll get to see space even better than before.<p>I had the same experience with the ocean. Visiting places rich with life, such as protected area which have had plenty of time to recover, reveals just how barren and burdened the ocean is right outside my home. Fewer plants and animals, less diversity, more sediments from industry&#x2F;runoff&#x2F;sewage treatment, etc. What a crazy thing to do to such crucial and beautiful things we depend on.