The Hazards of Leaving the Lights On

Earth Hour is an annual global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund. This event encourages people throughout the world to turn off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour. Earth Hour raises awareness of environmental sustainability, climate change and wildlife preservation worldwide. You can further the spirit of Earth Hour every day, by turning off unused lights to consume less energy, save money and protect the environment.

Environmental Harm

• According to the EPA, all forms of electricity have an impact on the environment. Electricity is produced from fossil fuels like natural gas, coal and oil. Producing electricity from these sources creates air emissions, releasing substances like carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. Pollutants can also be released into surrounding bodies of water, affecting nearby animals and plants. Power plants also take up land space that was occupied by wildlife and can contaminate surrounding land with waste that is not properly disposed. Making electricity with oil runs the risk oil spills, while mining for coal can disturb the environment, as well.

Cost

• By turning off lights regularly, you'll save money on your electricity bills. Energy Savers advises to turn off incandescent bulbs whenever you don't need them. Only about 10 to 15 percent of electricity used goes towards the light in an incandescent bulb, while the rest turns to heat. For fluorescent lighting, if you plan to leave a room for longer than five minutes, you should turn the lights off. There is a brief energy surge when turning a fluorescent light on, but it is not enough to justify keeping the light on unnecessarily for more than five minutes.

Light Pollution

• Keeping lights on at night creates light pollution, which is the artificial glow that surrounds cities and residential areas. Light pollution can throw off the natural navigational systems of birds and other wildlife, causing them to fly into buildings accidentally or fly around until they die of exhaustion. Other creatures are drawn to light and will fly intentionally into a building. Turning off lights has aesthetic value, too, allowing people see the stars better.

Health

• Studies have indicated a correlation between nighttime artificial light and cancer. Night-shift workers such as flight attendants are much more likely to get breast cancer, possibly due to artificial light's interruption with natural sleep cycles. Artificial lighting can also cause depression. Scientists have found that fluorescent lighting specifically has also been associated with skin problems, migraines and even seizures in epileptics.