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The autumn darkness has taken over the country.
Suddenly it got really dark outside the window, so how about a light or flashlight by the flowerbed, garage, or garbage can?
In recent years, sales of outdoor lighting have increased. LED lighting has made it easier and cheaper to illuminate gardens and terraces. The eruption of the crown has reinforced the trend, says Camilla Tully, communications manager for Clas Ohlson.
– This summer and fall, we sold 90 percent more solar cell lights than last year. In the last four weeks, we have seen a sharp increase in outdoor string light sales (84%).
And it may not be so strange that we are tempted.
On social media like Pinterest and Instagram, there are lots of lit trees, bushes, house walls, and walkways.
But what can create a pleasant outdoor environment for us humans is not necessarily good for animals, birds, and insects.
Insects like flies, beetles, wasps, and butterflies are attracted to artificial light sources.
Photo: NRK
– Garden lights can seem innocent if you only look at a garden. But what if we add the effects of a thousand gardens with garden lights? Says Arne Follestad, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Natural Research.
Light pollution in Norway has increased dramatically after the LED light revolution. For many Norwegians, it won’t be Christmas without candle decorations inside.
Surprised by the effect
The term light pollution is unknown to many, but it can be explained by the fact that there is light in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Follestad believes that light pollution receives very little attention in Norway.
Artificial light sources can act as insect traps. Light attracts a large number of different species of insects. This applies especially to butterflies, but also to many other groups of insects such as flies, beetles, and wasps.
– I am very surprised how much effect light can have on certain organisms. Both in terms of the different effects it can have and how many species can be affected.
Is there too much light outside?
Affects birds
Nature conservation advisor Martin Eggen from the Norwegian Ornithological Society says that light affects birds a lot.
The light allows them to search for food at other times of the day. It can also affect hormones that also control reproduction time.
Christmas houses with flashing lights of all colors create a cozy atmosphere for many Norwegians in the dark.
Photo: Kjartan Ovesen / NRK
Birds can be attracted to light sources and land where they would not otherwise land and suffer damage. Light can also affect the food that birds eat, such as insects and fish, according to Eggen.
– We see that the gardens are cut more and more. Even on islands and in the open country, robotic lawnmowers work. People plant lawns where there used to be flower meadows. Glass surfaces and light pollution are installed both at home and in the cottage.
– We must engage more with nature, rather than letting advertising and the neighbor control what we do with gardens and the environment, says nature conservation consultant Martin Eggen.
Photo: Jon Olav Larsen
Eggen’s encouragement is to let the environment be as natural as possible and to provide space for nature both in private gardens, in cabins and where we operate agriculture, forests and land.
Cheap electricity provides a lot of light.
Lighting designer Kristin Bredal specializes in lighting design for public spaces. She has prepared lighting plans for several Norwegian cities.
Right now it’s downtown Stavanger that’s next.
Bredal has a clear perception that there is a lot of light in Norwegian cities.
– It’s because we have very cheap electricity in Norway. But also around the world we see more and more light, a type of light that doesn’t add more visibility, safety or quality, she believes.
– Light has enormous power. It’s about how we feel well-being, safety, and understand the environment, says lighting designer Kristin Bredal.
In several countries there is legislation on the use of light. Both Slovakia, France and several states in the United States regulate the use of light.
However, light is important. Especially in northern Norway, where it is dark time.
– Light is necessary for road safety and the safety of those who travel through the city. But if we want to achieve climate goals, we cannot light up every war and every corner of our cities.
Today, 19 percent of all electricity consumption globally goes to lighting. It can also be cut in half without losing character and quality, Bredal believes.
The long and bright nights of the Norwegian summer have turned their backs on us again. This means that many of us compensate with tea lighting for better visibility and atmosphere.
Photo: Torbjørn Vårlid
In the past, lighting was something that engineers, installers and manufacturers controlled.
It is now increasingly common to incorporate lighting designers when designing urban hangouts.
It’s a win-win situation, the lighting designer believes.
– Light has enormous power. It is about how we feel well-being, security and understand the environment. We think of lighting from a design perspective rather than just function.
An example of this is directing light sources away from black asphalt towards buildings. Like the lighting in Tromsø Cathedral, which Bredal has worked with.
– The lighting here means the entire area is experienced as much brighter, and it means you don’t need 20 park lights.
Our lives in cities lit up at night offer security and experiences.
Photo: Stein Joar Olsen
