How much light is too much light? The Darkness Manifesto urges us to cherish natural darkness
for the sake of the environment our own wellbeing and all life on earth. The world's flora
and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night. But constant
illumination has made light pollution a major issue. From space our planet glows brightly 24
7. By extending our day we have forced out the inhabitants of the night and disrupted the
circadian rhythms necessary to sustain all living things. Our cities' streetlamps and neon
signs are altering entire ecosystems. As a devoted friend of the night Johan Eklöf encourages
us to appreciate natural darkness its creatures and its unique benefits. He ponders the
beauties of the night sky traces the paths of light-drunk moths and the dives of keen-eyed
owls and shows us the bioluminescent creatures of the deep oceans. He writes passionately
about the domino effect of damage we inflict by keeping the lights on: insects failing to
reproduce birds blinded and bewildered bats starving as they wait in vain for insects that
only come out in the dark. For humans light-induced sleep disturbances impact our hormones and
weight and can contribute to mental health problems. Eye-opening and ultimately encouraging
The Darkness Manifesto offers simple steps that can benefit ourselves and the planet. The light
bulb - long the symbol of progress - needs to be turned off. To ensure a bright future we must
embrace the darkness.
