Light Pollution was first identified as a problem by astronomers, but its consequences reach far wider. It is now widely recognised that artificial light at night, especially bright white light, can have profoundly negative effects on human health, and this is just the tip of an iceberg of harm. The effects on wildlife have been devastating, leading directly to the death of millions of birds each year and being the major driver of the insect apocalypse (studies suggest that 40% of insects will be extinct within the next few decades).

The solutions are at hand, are simple to implement, will have a net saving (of money, energy use and carbon emissions) and will not compromise security or our ability to safely work, travel and play at night. We need to act now before it is too late.

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Steve Tonkin is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has authored many articles and several books on practical aspects of astronomy. He has taught astronomy to adults and children for more than 40 years. Steve is the Dark Skies Advisor to both the Federation of Astronomical Societies and the International Dark Sky Reserve on the Cranborne Chase National Landscape. Steve also has a monthly column in BBC Sky at Night Magazine, for which he also writes equipment and book reviews.