Just over 100 years ago, nights on Earth were pitch black. But thanks to the triumph of widespread electricity and the light bulb, many regions of the globe are as light as day for almost 24 hours. Every year there’s a six percent increase in artificial light on Earth. This illumination of our planet has direct impacts on people, animals and plants.
Many ecologists are talking about a new form of pollution. Nighttime as a phase of rest and regeneration is increasingly being lost. In the animal kingdom this constant and growing illumination is even causing problems that are threatening the continued existence of some species.
UNESCO has declared 2015 the ‘International Year of Light’ because the subject has never been as relevant as it is now. How will the world of light change? What are the consequences for human beings? What technologies could make the nights darker again and make the remaining light ‘healthier’?
The scientific documentary ‘Loss of the Night’ investigates these questions and presents the results of the current state of research.