I used to think of darkness as something to avoid, a void to be filled with artificial light. But All Through the Night by Dani Robertson made me realize how much we’ve misunderstood it. Darkness isn’t just an absence of light; it’s a presence in itself. It’s essential for every living thing.
Our lives depend on darkness.
Dani Robertson, All Through the Night: One woman’s fight to protect our planet’s nature and environment from the effects of light pollution.
For too long, we’ve been told that darkness is unsafe, that crime lurks in the shadows, and that more lights mean more security. But do they? Dani Robertson challenges this assumption, arguing that extra streetlights might make us feel safer, but they don’t actually solve the deeper issues. Crime and violence don’t disappear with brighter bulbs. They stem from problems artificial light can’t fix. You can flood every alley with brightness, but the root causes remain untouched.
Robertson traces our slow but steady drift into overlight. She walks us through the invention of the light bulb and how it reshaped the world. Sometimes for the better, but often at a cost we’ve ignored. Light pollution has crept into every corner of our lives, disrupting sleep, drowning out the stars, and severing a connection to the night sky that once defined human history.
That connection mattered more than we realize. Before GPS and satellites, the stars were our guides. They led sailors across oceans, shaped trade routes, and even influenced the rise and fall of civilizations. The night sky was once a shared language, a universal constant. And yet, we’re losing it. One bright, unnecessary light at a time.
There is nothing more universally binding than our shared heritage in the night sky.
Dani Robertson, All Through the Night: One woman’s fight to protect our planet’s nature and environment from the effects of light pollution.
Looking up at the stars has always been a deeply human act, inspiring art, stories, and entire belief systems. But today, many of us can barely see more than a handful of stars at night. We’re losing more than just a view. We’re losing a piece of ourselves. When we can’t see the stars, we forget our place in the universe. We forget that we’re part of something bigger, that we have a responsibility to this planet and to future generations.
If you’ve ever felt uneasy in the dark, this book might change your perspective. All Through the Night isn’t just about light pollution. Robertson blends history, science, and personal reflection to show us why darkness matters and how simple changes, like turning off unnecessary lights, can make a real difference.
So tonight, maybe leave that porch light off for a while. Step outside. Look up. And remember: darkness isn’t the enemy. It’s part of what makes the world whole.
Summary
Losing the Night Costs Us More Than We Realize
We’ve filled the world with light, sometimes to a fault. With our lights blazing like invisible swords, we’ve pushed back the night without pausing to consider what we’re losing. Darkness isn’t just the absence of light. It’s a fundamental part of life, both for us and the natural world.
- We are born in darkness, shaped by it, and eventually, we’ll return to it. Darkness is part of our existence.
- Wildlife, too, depends on natural darkness to survive. Many species are suffering because of our light-filled world.
- Darkness must not become a luxury, enjoyed only by the few. It’s not something to sacrifice in our pursuit of progress.
By flooding the night with light, we’re not just banishing darkness. We’re losing a part of ourselves and harming the delicate balance of life around us.
The Truth About Darkness: Fear, Symbols, and the Illusion of Safety
It’s completely human to be afraid of the dark. That very fear is what kept our ancestors alive and why our DNA exists today. It’s a deeply rooted instinct that has served us well.
- Yet for too long, darkness has been unfairly blamed. It’s become a symbol of evil and the source of society’s problems.
- Does more light equal safety? Not exactly. Adding lights may feel reassuring, but it’s often a surface-level response. The dangers we face today, such as crime and violence, are not tied to the dark itself. Wild animals would flee at the sight of our lights. The real darkness is moral, a problem artificial light cannot fix.
- No number of streetlights can solve societal issues. Brightening the night doesn’t address the deeper shadows we struggle with as humans.
We’ve demonized darkness when the real problems lie elsewhere, untouched by even the brightest artificial glow.
Light Pollution and Losing the Night Sky
Light pollution isn’t just about excess light but about wasted light. Instead of directing light where we actually need it, much of it is carelessly sent upwards, illuminating nothing of importance.
- On cloudy nights, this wasted light becomes especially obvious. It bounces off the clouds, lighting up their undersides and reflecting back toward the ground.
- This phenomenon is called skyglow, a result of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN).
Skyglow doesn’t just block our view of the stars; it’s also a glaring sign of how inefficient and thoughtless we’ve become with artificial light.
The Hidden Dangers of Blue Light: Why Bright LEDs Might Be Hurting Us and Our Planet
Bright white LEDs have taken over our homes and streets, but their blue-wave light comes with hidden costs. While they’re energy-efficient and useful during the day, like boosting mood, attention, and reaction times, they become a problem at night.
- Blue light at night is a powerful disruptor. Research shows that while all light suppresses melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep), blue light does so twice as strongly as green light. It also shifts our circadian rhythms twice as much.
- Over time, blue light can cause physical harm to our eyes, especially in children, whose eyes aren’t fully developed, and adults over 50, who are more vulnerable.
The LED Dilemma:
- LEDs are up to 90% more energy-efficient than old incandescent bulbs. But there’s a catch: increasingly high-powered LEDs are being installed in homes and streets where they don’t belong.
- These overpowered lights are creating what some call a “glare plague,” like blinding pedestrians, drivers, and neighbors, while spilling light into what should be dark habitats for wildlife.
- Inefficiency remains a problem. If lights are too powerful for the job, you’re still wasting energy and money. And the damage to human health and wildlife is far too great to ignore.
A Safer Solution:
Doctors and lighting experts recommend using lights with a color temperature below 3000 Kelvin, ideally 2800 Kelvin. These gentler, warm amber lights are safer for human eyes, healthier for wildlife, and no less bright or effective.
We need to be smart about the light we use. If we aren’t careful, we risk solving one crisis (the energy problem) only to trigger another—an ecological collapse that will be far harder to fix.
How Light Disrupts Our Sleep and the Natural World: A Guide to Restoring the Rhythm
Light is powerful. It’s the silent conductor of our body’s sleep-wake cycle, but too much of it at the wrong time creates chaos with our circadian rhythm.
- This rhythm, controlled by the hypothalamus, relies on signals from natural light sources. When light reaches our eyes, it travels to the visual cortex in the brain, telling our body whether it’s day or night. From there, hormones and compounds are released to match different stages of the cycle.
How It Works:
- During the day, as we stay awake, a compound called adenosine builds up in our body, gradually increasing the feeling of sleepiness.
- Caffeine blocks adenosine, which is why drinking coffee late in the day is a bad idea. Too much caffeine prevents your body from flushing adenosine during sleep, leaving you groggy in the morning. This vicious cycle often leads to more coffee, trapping you in a loop where you never feel fully rested.
- At night, as darkness falls, the body releases melatonin, signaling that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep. But exposure to artificial light at night—screens, indoor lights, and external light pollution—disrupts melatonin release and confuses the brain.
- As the sun rises, your brain releases cortisol to help wake you up naturally. However, if you’re surrounded by bright artificial lights at night, these cues are thrown off, leaving you tired and disoriented.
For those of us living in cities, where it’s never truly dark, this disruption increases the risk of chronic tiredness, insomnia, and other health issues caused by a confused circadian rhythm.
Tips for Better Sleep:
- Give yourself plenty of exposure to natural darkness in the evening.
- Resist the urge to scroll through screens at least an hour before bed.
- Invest in a sunset alarm clock:
- It doubles as a bedside light that mimics the fading colors of a sunset, helping you fall asleep naturally. In the morning, it recreates a gentle sunrise to wake you up without the jarring sound of an alarm.
The Night is Alive
It’s a common misconception that the night is quiet. Take a walk in the evening or even at midnight, and you’ll hear the flutter of wings, the snuffle of animals, and the distant screech of life going about its business.
But for too long, we’ve been destroying these nocturnal habitats, often unknowingly. Our inconsiderate use of light has silently harmed wildlife, disrupting ecosystems in ways many of us never realized.
Restoring natural darkness is to get better sleep and protect the rhythms of the natural world, too.
The Unseen Victims of Light Pollution: How Artificial Light Harms Bats, Insects, Trees, and Marine Life
Light pollution doesn’t just affect us. It also disrupts ecosystems and harms creatures essential to life on Earth. From bats to insects, trees, and even ocean dwellers, artificial light creates chaos in ways we rarely consider.
Bats: Guardians of the Night
Bats are perhaps the most well-known victims of light pollution. As indicator species, their health reflects the overall condition of our environment. Governments even use bat populations to measure biodiversity goals—if bat numbers decline, it’s a warning sign that the ecosystem is in trouble.
- Why bats matter:
- They’re crucial pollinators and exceptional pest controllers. A single pipistrelle bat eats up to 3,000 insects in one night.
- How light harms bats:
- At the start of each evening, bats perform “light sampling”—peeking out of their roosts to check conditions before foraging. Artificial lights, even faint ones, can delay or prevent their emergence, causing them to miss critical foraging times when insects are most active.
- Light also attracts insects, pulling them away from bats’ hunting grounds. While a few bat species adapt to this “prey magnet,” most go hungry, leading to declines in vulnerable species like the greater and lesser horseshoe bats.
Insects: The Unsung Heroes of Life
Insects are often overlooked, yet they are the foundation of life on Earth.
- They pollinate plants, ensuring we have food.
- They fertilize soil, providing nutrients for all plant life.
- They’re a food source for countless animals. Without insects, ecosystems, as well as humans, would collapse.
Artificial light is devastating for insects, drawing them away from natural habitats and disrupting their lifecycles. Their decline affects the entire food chain, creating ripples that harm wildlife and, eventually, us.
Trees: Confused by Artificial Light
Trees rely on natural light cues to regulate their seasonal cycles. As days shorten, trees prepare for winter, like shedding leaves, conserving energy, and strengthening their roots.
- The problem: When we install bright artificial lights under trees to admire their beauty, we disrupt their natural processes. Trees can’t differentiate between artificial light and sunlight.
- This can cause them to hold onto their leaves too long, weakening their roots and branches. In some cases, the trees starve themselves during winter, trying to sustain leaves that should have fallen.
- What we see as “pretty lights” can lead to long-term trauma for trees, making them vulnerable to disease, breakage, and collapse.
Ocean Life: Light Shy and Displaced
Many marine creatures are sensitive to light. Even small changes, like moonlight shifts, can influence their behavior.
- Tiny crustaceans like copepods live as deep as 80 meters below the ocean’s surface, about 23 floors down. They respond to subtle changes in moonlight, which guide their movements.
- Artificial light, even from bright ship lights, confuses and repels these animals, displacing them from their natural habitats.
Life in the ocean is intricately connected to light cues. When we interfere with this balance, we disrupt entire marine ecosystems.
Simple Steps to Protect Our Dark Skies
Becoming an advocate for dark skies starts with a simple question:
- Have you ever truly seen the stars? If the answer is no, ask yourself why. Light pollution is not only robbing us of this breathtaking experience but is also harming our health, our communities, and the biodiversity that keeps life in balance.
Here’s how you can take action and fight for the night:
1. Audit Your Own Lights
- Ask yourself: What lights around my home are truly necessary? Lights should serve a clear purpose. “Looking pretty” isn’t one.
- If you need outdoor lighting, avoid dusk-to-dawn sensors. Instead, install motion sensors. They’re practical, turning on only when needed (like when you pull into your driveway) and are far better at alerting you to unexpected movement.
2. Shield and Direct Your Light
- Make sure your lights are fully shielded and face downward. This prevents light from spilling into the sky or nearby habitats.
3. Use Energy-Efficient and Purposeful Bulbs
- Choose energy-efficient bulbs that are only as bright as necessary. Overly powerful lights waste energy, money, and disrupt the environment.
4. Mind the Kelvins
- The color temperature of light (measured in Kelvins) is crucial. Bright white LEDs, with their harsh blue-violet light, are bad for both humans and wildlife.
- Shorter wavelengths, like blue light, disrupt our sleep, harm our health, and lure insects and animals to their deaths.
- Opt for lights below 3000 Kelvin. These emit a gentler, warm amber glow that’s safer for you and the environment.
5. Know Your Sky
- Find out how dark your local sky is. Tools like sky quality meters can help, or you can simply look up and observe.
Author: Dani Robertson
Publication date: 23 January 2024
Number of pages: 320 pages
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