I just learned about polarized light pollution via this post on PopSci.com. I've talked about the ramifications of regular ol' light pollution on nocturnal species but little did I know, artificial polarized light reflecting from shiny urban surfaces like buildings and car windows is confusing wildlife. Birds and insects are mistaking these surfaces as bodies of water. A study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment offered an example of the disruptive effects of polarized light pollution: "Turtles frequently ingest plastic, especially transparent plastic bags, because they confuse the polarized light from them as that from prey."
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
polarized light pollution
I just learned about polarized light pollution via this post on PopSci.com. I've talked about the ramifications of regular ol' light pollution on nocturnal species but little did I know, artificial polarized light reflecting from shiny urban surfaces like buildings and car windows is confusing wildlife. Birds and insects are mistaking these surfaces as bodies of water. A study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment offered an example of the disruptive effects of polarized light pollution: "Turtles frequently ingest plastic, especially transparent plastic bags, because they confuse the polarized light from them as that from prey."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment