Light Pollution

Hanging out here at Key Biscayne, the light spilling from Miami overwhelms the stars. I can hardly see any constellations, any clouds in the sky shine brightly from wasted city light, and I can never see phosphorescence. These pics are night shots pointed toward Miami

and pointed away. 

Clouds should show up as darkness blocking out the stars, not as glowing masses.

Studies have shown that light at night is bad for our health, even if we try to exclude it with window shades or sleep masks. 

Animals, too, have trouble: recent studies have shown, for example, that clownfish egg hatch rates drop from 80% to ZERO with underwater light pollution similar to what one would expect from well lit resorts. And, when I lived in St John, feral roosters called all night.... until the power went off for a couple days and peace reigned and the roosters, too, could sleep. 

I hear people say that light makes them feel more secure, but I've seen a fellow sailor try to deal with darkness by surrounding himself with lights... and the darkness outside became impenetrable and oppressive even to me: turn lights out and soon the stars and waves glow. People on land worry about prowlers and the BEST way to stop them is NOT with flood lights, but with motion sensors: people sneaking around really really dislike triggering lights as it attracts attention to them while bright lights create nice shadows where prowlers can hide.

Please, let there be darkness!