Though I don’t live in Northampton, I do want to weigh in on the light pollution issue that I hope will result in a strong ordinance.

Every night where I live 10 miles away, I witness the skyglow from Northampton’s lights, an excess of lights from the city. Maybe some of this skyglow we see here is also from Holyoke and Springfield. I hope that these communities also will consider mitigation of their light pollution. Gratitude to Smith College Professor James Lowenthal for working on this issue in communities across the region.

Light pollution contributes to the demise of songbird and insect populations, and places stressors on all animals who depend on the stars for navigation or darkness for basic habitat. We all need to be concerned about the deleterious effects of light pollution on mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects and trees, and make it our work to ensure their safety and well-being.

I worked many years as a nurse and bodyworker and taught in the health care realm. I have committed a great deal of attention to pondering human health. The bodies of all living beings, including humans, evolved over millions of years in a rhythm of day and night. Disruption of these circadian rhythms suppresses the hormone melatonin, resulting in sleep disorders, mental health issues, and worse. Studies of nurses working overnights have revealed a correlation between exposure to excess artificial light at night with a higher incidence of breast cancer. For men it is prostate cancer. It doesn’t have to be this way; lighting everywhere should be altered to consider health safety while continuing to consider other issues of safety.

I write also as someone who participates in Northampton’s cultural life on a regular basis. I attend dances and concerts, eat out at Northampton’s restaurants, and shop in Northampton’s stores. The experience of being downtown is in no way enhanced by harsh lighting.

We live in a time in which we are compelled to consider the broader consequences of our choices and lighting is one of these.

Rae Korengold

Haydenville