Book 43. Incandescent by Anna Levin
An account of the huge increase of artificial light on our planet and the impact on life on earth, our health and society. Artificial light sources have not only flourished but it appears in some cases, have become aggressively government enforced.
The book begins with the author’s own account of her extreme sensitivity to the UV emitted by ‘eco’ CFL lighting. This leads her to an investigation into why and how the old incandescent bulbs were limited and then banned, with the global mandate for CFL and LED lights in all public realm, industry and private settings.
I found this a completely fascinating and utterly compelling investigation. The core question asks what caused the global campaign to ban bulbs specifically, with an unprecedented worldwide mandate for an alternative branded as ecologically friendly. All without any apparent proper scrutiny, little convincing scientific evidence and no public education about the consequences.
At first it’s obvious that the books approach comes from Levins own arguably biased stance due to personal health concerns. However we are taken through interviews with lighting experts, conflicting views of wildlife and green campaigners, media reports, neuroscience reports and EU records to unpack the science as well as the legislation and political posturing. For me it is a salient lesson in how ideology, led by an impassioned belief, is propelled forwards by political and commercial interests. Compounded by a limited appetite to scrutinise evidence or ask questions.
I’ve just come back from holiday in Galloway, Scotland where the first Dark Skies park has been designated. After experiencing an almost pristine night sky, this really brought the subject to life for me.