The Darkness Manifesto
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
How much light is too much light? Satellite pictures show our planet as a brightly glowing orb. In our era of 24/7 illumination, an excess of light is a pressing problem. Just about every creature on earth, humans included, operates according to the circadian rhythm. The world's flora and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night, but in 2021, light pollution has become a major issue. Swedes have always had to deal with extremes of light and dark, thanks to the short winter days and bright summer nights- but these days there are few corners of the world that don't have their own artificial "white nights." This well-researched book challenges our instinctual fear of the dark and urges us to cherish the darkness, its creatures, and its unique beauties. Ekl f ponders the beauties of the night sky, traces the errant paths of light-drunk moths and the swift dives of keen-eyed owls. He explains the echolocation of bats and shrews and shows us the bioluminescent creatures of the deepest oceans. Johan Ekl f has a doctorate in zoology and is one of the world's preeminent bat experts. He lives in the west of Sweden, where he works as a conservationist and copywriter. As a devoted friend of the night, in THE DARKNESS MANIFESTO, he writes urgently and personally about the damage we inflict on ourselves and our fellow creatures simply by keeping the lights on. He depicts in the domino effect of diminishing darkness- insects dumbfounded by streetlights failing to reproduce, birds blinded and bewildered by lights, bats starving as they wait in vain for food insects that only come out in the dark of night, and humans growing ever more stressed and obese from light-induced sleep disturbances. The light bulb - for a long time the very symbol of progress and development - needs to be turned off. There is still hope for nocturnal life. Perhaps the next generation will be able to gaze out into the starry sky the same way mankind did before the discovery of electricity. Carpe diem? Carpe noctem!
Reviews with the most likes.
Dark Spring. I read this book and write this review as someone who longs to see that which I've never seen in nearly 40 years of existence on this Earth - the Milky Way as the Ancients did. Here, Eklof makes a case as to why the light pollution that is so prevalent in so many areas of the world needs to be treated just as seriously as any other form of human-made pollution. Indeed, at least in his claims, this is as strong a book against light pollution as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was all those years ago.
HOWEVER, where Eklof fails a fair degree - and the reason for the star deduction here - is that while he makes a lot of strong claims, there is scant documentation of these claims - coming in at just 15% or so of the text here, when more fully documented books come in closer to 20% - 30%, and books that are particularly well documented can reach 50% or so of the overall text.
Still, as a sort of primer to these issues for those who may not be aware of them already, this is a strong book that will allow for further research after reading it. Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.