Environmental and Behavioral Modeling of Mitigating Light Pollution: Implication for a Better World

Abstract

Light has always fascinated humans, thus they used to burn different materials to illuminate their indoors and outdoors as well at night for better visibility and safety. Nighttime lighting has rapidly proliferated throughout the cities and has kept the darkness away. Artificial light, which has become a necessity, contributes to the so-called Light Pollution. Light pollution is therefore a crucial aspect for lighting designers to consider while designing. Knowing how to accomplish ‘good’ lighting is considered a characteristic, and a distinctive skill of lighting professionals. The objective of this study is to highlight the causes behind light pollution, the groups that are contributing to its existence, and to identify ways and means for avoiding it. To achieve the objective of this study, the following three questions were adopted: What produces light pollution? How could light pollution be reduced? Finally, are lighting design companies helping in light pollution mitigation? A survey of lighting professionals was adopted to trace out the main causes of light pollution. The results show that lighting professionals are considered as the main responsible factor for light pollution, and play a major role in its mitigation.