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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Artificial Light, Sleep Deprivation and Breast Cancer



A friend who lives on Howell Road in the 3rd Ward just sent me these photos. I was flabbergasted. I would never sleep if this situation existed outside my bedroom window. Experts say that this much artificial light affects more than just a person's sleep patterns. It has been linked to cancer. Studies have shown that females who work the night shift are more likely to develop breast cancer. Is Howell Road now a high risk area for breast cancer in women/men? Yes, men may also suffer from breast cancer. After thanking my lucky stars that this situation is not in my front yard, I decided to write this. Why are the lights on at Herring Field when there is no game in progress? Those blaring lights are wasting energy, causing night blindness in plants and possible breast cancer in humans. Why?


You would think that the person or persons responsible for keeping the Parks would make sure that these lights do not come on when there is no game in progress. What would happen if these lights illuminated the 1st or 2nd Ward homes at night? Residents in this area must begin to protest such wasteful and dangerous health practices in our City. These lights are focused almost directly into the windows of Glenbrook Parkway apartments and the homes on Howell Road. The glare is evident all the way down the block to Glenbrook Parkway.


There are lots of children in this area. We do not want them to be put at risk for breast cancer.  They also need uninterrupted sleep in order to be fresh for the learning required in school. Sleep deprivation has been known to affect the learning process. They are already working against the odds. We must eliminate all obstacles to success.


I am encouraging the residents of this area to make the call to the City Manager and ask that these artificial and very bright flood lights be regulated to shine on nights and at times when games are in progress. Someone must know when that is. I am sure that there is someone already on the payroll that might have this added to the duties they perform. It does seem a tiny responsibility that will mean so very much to the residents in this area.

Further reading on the issue...
A very interesting study done on the elimination of artificial light


Environmental Factor: Artificial Light Stimulates Breast Cancer

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2006/january/science-artificial.cfm

RCEP Consultation on Artificial Light in the Environment
Martin Morgan-Taylor∗
http://www.darksky.org/

New Research Shows Artificial Light at Night Stimulates Breast Cancer Growth in Laboratory Mice
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2005/december19/index.cfm


                                         "... And how are the children?"

2 comments:

Kimi Wei said...

That's really interesting. I had no idea artificial light could cause cancer. I wonder if the same is true of light inside buildings.

Unknown said...

These lights have heen on,since I moved to Howell Road and I have complained that long. Not only to the city managers (we have had a few), but to EPSD facilities and DPW. We also had caution lights, that would flash loud and long, warning drivers of the presence of school children and a crossing area. Every morning at 7:00AM in would stop, when the children would be wakling to school...two yeasr of complaints finally corrected that upsidedown situation. Any waste of resources is offensive when residents are being nickeled and dimed over every service. Programs that our taxes once paid for are now considered a la carte, even as taxes rise. Heat pours out of open windows and lights burn all night long at the club house. In the summer, the humm of the air conditioner is constant...and the lights on the field burn on...