Light Pollution, a Beautiful Evil?

Light Pollution, a Beautiful Evil?

It sometimes happens that two very minor, and actually negligible things may occur, which then lead me to thinking a little more than anyone would have thought necessary.

In this instance I have a new screensaver on my desktop (fruit branded) computer, it shows the earth from space (or a bloody long way up) and depicts, I am not sure if it is actual imagery, how much light is being generated during the hours of darkness.

I cannot claim to have chosen this particular feature and I make no claims about what this tech giant is trying to tell us, I just happened to notice it scrolling away one evening whilst reading in the office chair. Quite nice, I suppose.

But, to my second bit of the revelatory puzzle:

I was recently visiting London. I do not, indeed I try not to, visit it very often – less is more for me. Being a countryman to my fingertips I really do not understand the place, the people, or even the smell! But that said I do appreciate a walk around and stopping off at various pubs, inns and bars is always a welcome change from driving for 30 minutes to find a decent meal and a pint.

All good so far and of course something that is enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors to the cities of London and Westminster every year.

Walking back to Marylebone during the evening, from Trafalgar Square (lovely fountains etc), I was amazed, not only by the amount of people still shopping for designer products at inflated prices (at 9pm) but also the beautiful way in which the shops and other establishments are illuminated.

I know that illumination is one of the key factors in getting us to spend money and I’m sure that Kevin McCloud could tell me any number of reasons for it; but I have to admit to being like the moth to the flame – I am attracted by the lights, but ultimately repulsed by them. Just how much does it all cost? And not just financially.

Regent Street is possibly one of my favourite (UK) streets, the sweeping curve, with the impressive height of the very white buildings is something that you do not need to be an architect to appreciate (my opinion, of course). But I realised that evening that I have never seen it in comparative darkness; firstly I am too young to have experienced the power shortages in the 70’s and though I know that during the COVID lockdowns things were scaled back, I doubt that big business actually shut the lights off – probably for fear of looters!

I have, some time ago, been privileged enough to have taken a helicopter sightseeing trip over London at night, and albeit was some years ago, I distinctly remember being dazzled by the array of lighting.

Image by Roman Grac from Pixabay

Returning home to rural south Shropshire, I was out and about in the evening, taking a stroll through the dark lanes near to home and I was reminded of a meeting I had had with a retired Army man, many years ago and in a previous life. He told me that he had chosen his home on the north Herefordshire and south Shropshire border precisely because of the very low light pollution. He told me that in preparation for his retirement he had actually made use of military technology to find his perfect area for his retirement, based upon light pollution. Nice to have access to such facilities I suppose! But also one of the best uses of military technology that I have heard of in a long time, being nothing but for the good.

My nearest town is a little more than 5 miles, by road, and on a clear day just visible. 

John Betjeman, in 1940, referred to it as “…probably the loveliest town in England with its hill of Georgian houses ascending from the river Teme to the great tower of the cross-shaped church, rising behind a classic market building.”

Who am I to argue?

But he would not have seen it as I did this evening, the great tower of the church illuminated, the street lights and general illumination marking it’s place on the surrounding countryside.

All of this led me to thinking about light pollution – friend or foe? 

Generally I suppose that light pollution is a foe, in the sense that we need darkness to ensure we lead healthy lives, also in the sense that all of that light is generated somehow, somewhere. And of course, it has a cost, both financially and environmentally.

But, there are a couple of upsides. The first is that when viewed from the correct perspective all of those little bulbs and LEDs are undeniably pretty. The second, and for me the most important, is that the light attracts the eye, but it also highlights the darkness around them, where the countryside lives, where I and I suspect many of you live. 

After all, Caravaggio, DaVinci and the other renaissance artists cannot have been wrong when making the point about the importance of the contrast of light and dark - they called it Chiaroscuro. (Thanks PH for reminding me!) 

So I find a space in my heart for all of those city and town dwellers, who feel that they need these lights; in a sense they guide me back to where I feel most comfortable and give me something to look at while I enjoy the darkness.