The darkness manifesto On light pollution, night ecology, and the ancient rhythms that sustain life

Review by Booklist Review

"Carpe noctem," Swedish scientist Eklöf decrees in his discussion of nocturnal ecology, the biological importance of darkness, and the threat to nighttime posed by light pollution. Many people aren't especially eager to "seize the night," as they find the dark foreboding. Fear of the dark, whether genetic or cultural in origin, comes with a survival value for our species. So humanity increasingly endeavors to light up the world. But light pollution (superfluous artificial light) damages ecosystems, animal life, and human health. The alternation of light and darkness, day and night, indispensably regulates biological clocks and circadian rhythms. Light pollution has been linked to insects dying off, birds becoming light-confused, and humans experiencing sleep problems. About one-third of the planet's vertebrates and roughly half its insects are nocturnal creatures. Eklöf also writes about the light-emitting molecule, luciferin, found in fireflies; the ability of a single bat to consume 3,000 bugs in just one night; and the earth's most light-polluted cities, Hong Kong and Singapore. Given this "manifesto" in support of darkness and the night, readers will find this book unexpectedly illuminating.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Ecologist Eklöf (Bats) bemoans the loss of darkness in this eye-opening treatise on light pollution. Such pollution is growing by an estimated 2% every year, he writes, and most of that light "spills out into the sky" and causes ecological damage. Citing gleaming metropolises such as Hong Kong and Singapore as well as tourist meccas like Las Vegas, Eklöf cautions that excess light can be linked to health problems in humans--sleep problems, depression, cancer--and also tampers with nature's biological clocks and ecosystems. In Stockholm, for instance, urban lighting has led blackbirds to sing spring mating songs all the way through November, and glowing street lamps in the U.K. have lured male fireflies away from less-bright mates. As well, Eklöf describes dung beetles that use moonlight for navigation, plunges into the night sea to witness bioluminescent creatures' "fireworks of blue light," and marvels at night vision in cats. It's all in service of his argument that people should "protect the darkness," in part by turning off lights, venturing out in the dark at night, and imploring local politicians to fight against light pollution. Urgent and vivid, this account shines. Agent: Paul Sebes, Sebes & Bisseling Literary. (Feb.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Insightful observations about how lighting is blighting both the environment and our inner lives. At first glance, this book seems to be an exercise in eccentricity, but it turns out to be an absorbing read. Eklöf is a Swedish biologist whose original area of expertise is bats. When he realized that the bat population was declining, he started looking for the reason. He found that the number of insects, the primary food for bats, was sharply decreasing and that the cause was an excess of artificial light. Most insects are nocturnal, and their feeding and mating cycles are determined by the sun and moon. As artificial lighting has grown more intense and spread into rural areas, these cycles have become fatally disrupted, and the consequences ripple through the food chain. Even more, light pollution--light that is essentially unnecessary but has an adverse impact on ecosystems--is directly affecting mammal populations, including humans. "The biological clock, our circadian rhythm, is ancient, shared, and completely fundamental," writes Eklöf. He continues, "the artificial light from lamps, headlights, and floodlights is not in this equation and risks, to put it mildly, creating disorder in the system." For many people, this dislocation means disrupted sleep, stress, and depression. The author also explores the history of artificial light, pointing out that much of the lighting in our society achieves very little, aside from wasting resources. He readily acknowledges that artificial illumination is a hallmark of civilization, but his advice is to protect the ecosystem, and ultimately our own well-being, by turning down the lights and accepting the natural rhythms of night and day. His conclusion: "Seize darkness. Become its friend and enjoy it--it will enrich your life….Carpe noctem." A captivating, poetic call for greater awareness of the natural cycles of the world. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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