Boise State Public Radio (14 February 2020)

New Map Spotlights Light Pollution In The Rural West

Greenhouses growing leafy greens and cannabis stand out, too. That rural light pollution increasingly concerns John Barentine of the International Dark-Sky Association, who says it has negative effects on wildlife.

“Whether they’re plants or animals or insects, it’s all across the biological world,” Barentine said. “Which is just a reflection of the fact that our biology on this planet grew up in an environment where for billions of years there were only natural sources of light at night.”

​But he says simple measures like using blinds for greenhouses could mitigate the problem, helping to preserve the region’s iconic night sky for years to come.

Read more: https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/new-map-spotlights-light-pollution-rural-west