Light pollution in Singapore
A 2016 study by the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute put Singapore as the most polluted nation in the world. I am aware of this every evening. We have streetlights along every road, even the most remote and underutilized ones. They stay turned on from 7pm to 7am daily, without fail, no matter if not a single pedestrian or car passes through the area overnight. They do not operate with motion sensors; they are purely time-based.
Then we have all the lights that stay switched on along corridors and void decks of apartment complexes. These could easily be on dimmers or motion sensors. The saddest part of light pollution is the effect it has on the animals that live nearby. Singapore prides itself of being a garden city, but the animals that live in these gardens are blinded by bright lights every night, likely disrupting their circadian rhythm.
Whenever this topic is brought up for discussion, I feel like the authorities talk about how the lights prevent crimes. Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world with very low crime rates. We are also densely populated. It is not easy to find places to do crimes in, especially in the residential complexes. Then the debate evolves into the lights leading to safety and lack of lights will kick start criminal behavior. I know that Singapore is an authoritarian democracy but why aren’t they considering environmental and health impacts.
There have been studies that showed that too much exposure to artificial lights affects human eyes and their capacity to take in light properly. The same 2016 study stated above also said it is “not possible to view the Milky Way Galaxy anywhere in the country”. I fret about how these affect the eyes of young children and the inability to look up at the stars in the sky might skew their sense of wonder and imagination. Whenever I travel, I make it a point to visit small villages and take in the night sky there.
I still reminisce about my trip to Bryon Bay near Gold Coast, Australia where I stood gazing at the Milky Way splashed across the sky for the first time in my life. The photo in this writing was what I saw,better in person though. It is terribly sad that I can’t see it at home. Usually in the Singaporean night sky, at my home away from the nightlife parts of the island, I’m only able to see planets and some of the brightest stars. It is always a struggle to look at those even, as I’m usually blinded by streetlights in most places where I can look up from (even on the garden roofs of buildings). I use my hands or a piece of cardboard to hold up to my face to try to block some of the light from the lamps, trying to make my eyes adjust and be able to see more stars.
Recently, I feel like the Singapore government is taking some measures to address environmental concerns like recycling and food wastage. I have not heard of any measures on lighting other than changing to more efficient light fixtures. I hope someone looks into reducing light pollution in Singapore, reducing stress and strain on people’s eyes, making the night sky visible, not affecting wildlife circadian rhythm and other things I may not even know about.
