The City Dark (documentary)

[CNS]

Very interesting study on the effects of light pollution. This documentary touches on the very beginnings of man's mythology and use of the stars, and weaves its way to the impingement of today's lit skies due to light emanation from our urban sprawl. How being out of touch with the heavens might impact our collective conscience by making the universe much smaller in perception than it really is.

The filmmaker goes on to discuss how city "light domes" have disrupted nature, ie muddling bird migration, mid-air building collision (4000 dead birds a year from building collisions in Chicago alone), and sea turtle hatchling confusion.

There is also an interesting bit on how lowered melatonin levels lead to a greater chance of breast cancer in women, especially those that work late shifts.

Has anyone else seen this? It is currently on Netflix, at least in my neck of the woods, and I would highly recommend a watch.

Personally, I feel very humbled beneath a star lit sky and am quickly becoming claustrophobic living in the city. I yearn for a day not too far in the future when I can step out my back door into a wonderful panoramic view of the Milky Way. :)

Here is the trailer:
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1fTkF8PIu0

Full Doc edited for PBS's POV:
_http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zGyFsMCsQNE

 

[Cleo]

I had seen a trailer for this documentary several years ago and had in mind to see it but had since forgotten the name of it. Plan to watch it on Netflix, thanks for posting about it, CNS.

Where I live, and it's not that big of a city but the view of the night sky on a clear night is still affected quite a bit by light pollution. In the mountains or on the coast here in the Pacific Northwest, the view of a clear night sky can be pretty incredible as compared. Humbling also seems like a good word for it.

 

[CNS]

Hey, just read this article and it reminded me of this documentary.

_http://www.sott.net/article/280041-Block-it-out-The-plague-of-light-in-our-bedrooms

Studies are showing more and more that light in the bedroom effects levels of melatonin levels, and low melatonin levels are linked to increased incidence of obesity and breast cancer in women. Might wanna take heed.

 

[davey72]

Hey, just read this article and it reminded me of this documentary.

_http://www.sott.net/article/280041-Block-it-out-The-plague-of-light-in-our-bedrooms

Studies are showing more and more that light in the bedroom effects levels of melatonin levels, and low melatonin levels are linked to increased incidence of obesity and breast cancer in women. Might wanna take heed.

I have seen a lot of coverage about this issue here on the forum, but i dont understand how even moonlight can affect us in thisway. Did we not evolve sleeping under the stars?

 

[Beau]

I have seen a lot of coverage about this issue here on the forum, but i dont understand how even moonlight can affect us in thisway. Did we not evolve sleeping under the stars?

No, man slept in caves, where there was no light. For survival purposes, our bodies evolved to produce cortisol once light touched any part of our skin.

 

[Zadius Sky]

You can also check out this thread in relation: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.

When my parents moved to a small town outside of the city over a decade ago, you can see the stars clearly. Now, after Wal-Mart and dealerships moved in with their lights and several "policies" for installing bright LED streetlights on every road, you can't even see the stars anymore and it's bright at night. And, the very idea of blocking the windows and darkening the bedroom seems foreign to most people.

 

[davey72]

I have seen a lot of coverage about this issue here on the forum, but i dont understand how even moonlight can affect us in thisway. Did we not evolve sleeping under the stars?

No, man slept in caves, where there was no light. For survival purposes, our bodies evolved to produce cortisol once light touched any part of our skin.

I hadn't really delved into the subject. It is interesting about the cortisol. What about fire in the caves?

 

[Mr. Premise]

I have seen a lot of coverage about this issue here on the forum, but i dont understand how even moonlight can affect us in thisway. Did we not evolve sleeping under the stars?

No, man slept in caves, where there was no light. For survival purposes, our bodies evolved to produce cortisol once light touched any part of our skin.

Are there really that many caves? How about in areas of flat grasslands? I think if there was a cave available they would use it because of protection, but I'm not sure how many prehistoric groups actually lived in caves. Despite the fact they were called cave men. :P

 

[davey72]

I have seen a lot of coverage about this issue here on the forum, but i dont understand how even moonlight can affect us in thisway. Did we not evolve sleeping under the stars?

No, man slept in caves, where there was no light. For survival purposes, our bodies evolved to produce cortisol once light touched any part of our skin.

Are there really that many caves? How about in areas of flat grasslands? I think if there was a cave available they would use it because of protection, but I'm not sure how many prehistoric groups actually lived in caves. Despite the fact they were called cave men. :P

There were probably more Igloo men than Cavemen.

 

[mkrnhr]

It's hard to tell how our ancestors lived exactly. It is difficult to imagine that they slept under the stars during the ice ages though :)

I think what is important is that the sleep cycle was in tune with the daily light cycle, which was modulated by seasons and even the moon cycle. Today the artificial lights do not permit to tune in with those cycles because for a part, the darkness threshold is almost never achieved and on the other hand, the timing is artificial and has nothing to do with the body/soul needs. At night in the countryside, even in a tent with a fire (which has a different spectral range than daylight), the level of light is nothing compared to an average room in a small city. Everyone who has been camping has experienced being sleepy as soon as the sun went down, which in a city does not happen.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Found this on Wikipedia under "cave dwellers":

Some prehistoric humans were cave dwellers, but most were not. (See "Homo" and "Human evolution".) Such early cave dwellers, and other prehistoric peoples, are also called cave men (the term also has other meanings). Despite the name, only a small portion of humanity has ever dwelt in caves: caves are rare across most of the world; most caves are dark, cold, and damp; other cave inhabitants, such as bears and cave bears, cave lions, and cave hyenas, also have made caves inhospitable for people.

 

[CNS]

I think we could discuss all day long about the early tenements of man, but I think the issue here is that no matter how much ambient lighting the moon, stars or even a camp fire might allow, there is far more light outside now than there ever has been. Even just 125 years ago, prior to the use of the incandescent bulb, cities and towns were still quite dark, save a few oil lamps in the street. Think about all the flood lights, street lights and parking lots that are now blaring in all directions.

You can also check out this thread in relation: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.

When my parents moved to a small town outside of the city over a decade ago, you can see the stars clearly. Now, after Wal-Mart and dealerships moved in with their lights and several "policies" for installing bright LED streetlights on every road, you can't even see the stars anymore and it's bright at night. And, the very idea of blocking the windows and darkening the bedroom seems foreign to most people.

Zadius, thanks for the link, I'll check it out. And, it makes me kinda sad to hear your story...you moved away from the city to get away from that type of encroachment, but then it has to follow you with giant box stores and the like. Boo!