Light Pollution Is One of the World’s Biggest Buzzkills…Here’s Why

Insect populations are dropping, but turning off your lights could help. » Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker » Watch more Elements! http://bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist » Visit our shop at http://shop.seeker.com Have you ever come home from a long day to find your front door swarmed by flying insects? Or more accurately, your front door’s light? Turns out, that’s more than a minor inconvenience. Light pollution is contributing to worldwide insect decline and it’s actually a huge problem. A recent study estimates that 40% of the world’s insect species may become extinct within the next few decades. The groups of insects that are most at risk are Lepidoptera, which includes moths and butterflies; Hymenoptera, which includes bees and ants; and finally, dung beetles. All insects play really important roles on Earth. For instance, many are pollinators that keep ecosystems running by perpetuating plant populations. Insects also play a role in energy cycling, as they aid in decomposition and disposal of waste. They’re food for many other organisms, like small rodents, amphibians, birds and bats, all of which have important jobs to do in the world’s food and energy webs. So what can we do to help? Turn off our lights. Addressing our light usage is something relatively simple that we can do to address this issue pretty much immediately. Find out why this one simple step is a good place to start when it comes to preserving the world’s insect populations in this Elements. #insects #energy #pollution #seeker #elements #science ____________________ Read more: Light pollution is key 'bringer of insect apocalypse' https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/22/light-pollution-insect-apocalypse "Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date." Light pollution is a driver of insect declines https://www.sciencedirect.com/s