As we look up into the night sky, do we ever ask ourselves what the stars mean to us? Have we ever wondered what would happen to us if one day we were no longer able to see the stars? This is something I hadn’t thought much about, but now it’s a question I can’t stop pondering. It all began with a conversation I had with Erika Blumenfeld—an artist, researcher, and dark sky advocate—who is dedicated to raising awareness about the detrimental impact of artificial light on our view of the stars.

Erika, who was raised in the Boston area and now resides in Houston, Texas, has seen some of the clearest night skies when she was living in remote places such as Marfa in Far West Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has centered her art career on bridging the gap between science and the humanities, using art and storytelling to connect people to the stars. She believes “art has the capacity to connect us to our natural world and each other. Our stories of the stars are the cultural evidence of what we hold as meaningful and sharing them allows for a kind of social remembering of the eons-long tradition of seeking wisdom from our starry night sky.”

In 2013, she approached NASA with a proposal to make their collections of lunar and meteorite samples—"and the wondrous stories they reveal”—more accessible to people worldwide. One of my favorite projects of hers is Sky Scrolls, where she invites people of all ages to share their intimate personal stories of the night sky and transforms them into celestial bodies as a work of art. Erika continues to exhibit her art globally to foster dialogue about the impact of artificial light on the night sky, explaining how light pollution affects not only the sky itself but also has adverse effects on humans and wildlife.

We tend to blame many things for poor health when things go awry, but rarely do doctors or scientists point to the absence of a naturally dark night sky. However, she shares research showing that light pollution is directly linked with breast cancer, prostate cancer, and sleep deprivation; greatly impacts cell cycle regulation, DNA damage response and metabolism; is implicated in obesity, diabetes, psychiatric and mood disorders as well as gastrointestinal and reproductive issues, among others. The glow from LED billboards and bright streetlights disrupt our sleep, interfering with our deep sleep cycles. Although often overlooked, a naturally dark night sky is essential to maintaining health and well-being.

Wildlife depends even more on a naturally illuminated night sky. Erika shared that, “Artificial light negatively affects metabolic, reproductive and immunological processes in all organisms adapted to day-night cycles. Plant species and terrestrial, marine and freshwater organisms are being affected on a physiological level. These changes are altering foraging, predation and reproduction, disrupting immunity, physiological and behavioral processes, as well as greatly impacting migration and orientation.” Nocturnal animals rely on the light from the moon and stars to hunt, while migrating animals use the night sky for navigation. Consider sea turtles, for example. Nesting adults and hatching babies rely on the bright full moon's reflection on the ocean to guide them across the sand and toward the water for their first step of survival. If artificial light were to overpower the moonlight, the turtles would follow it instead, leading them away from the ocean, and away from survival.

The effects of light pollution go beyond visible impacts on our health and wildlife migration—what about the impacts we can’t see? Humanity has looked to the stars for inspiration and creativity for as long as we’ve existed, with evidence stretching back millennia. In her dark sky advocacy, Erika asks, “As a diverse and creative species, if we lack a view of the universe, a view that has connected us with a sense of awe and left an imprint of wonder on our hearts and minds, what part of us wanes?” If we walk outside and can’t see the night sky, what will we see? Will a blank slate encourage creativity and curiosity about what lies beyond? Each light in the sky represents something we, as humans, long to understand and places we aspire to reach. How can we reach for the stars if they’re no longer visible?

Explore more about the meaning behind her work on her website https://erikablumenfeld.com.

RESOURCES:

Blumenfeld, E. H. (2014) Preserving the Night Sky as Intangible Heritage [Masters of Science in Conservation Studies thesis, University College London]

Stevens, R. G., G. C. Brainard, D. E. Blask, S. W. Lockley and M. E. Motta. 2013. Adverse Health Effects of Nighttime Lighting: Comments on American Medical Association Policy Statement. American journal of preventive medicine 45: 3: 343-46 (You can download a copy HERE)

Rich, C., Longcore, T. (2006) Ecological consequences of artificial night lighting (Island Press). (You can buy it HERE)

For more resources on light pollution and guidelines for making your home or neighborhood “dark sky compliant” visit The International Dark Sky Association: http://www.darksky.org/.

Erika Blumenfeld: What Happens if We Are No Longer Able to See the Stars?

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