The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life
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- Create Date：2023-02-27 03:19:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Johan Eklöf
- ISBN：166800089X
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Reviews
James Easterson
，
Not a page turner， but a good book on all things day and night， and the effects of light pollution， and the amazing influences that light and darkness have on all creatures great and small。
Georgie
，
A delightful read， a true little manifesto about the benefits of darkness。Spanning biology， philosophy， palaeontology， mythology， and astronomy， Eklöf - a bat scientist by nature - details a history of light and dark， and why both of these are essential for all life。 In an ever-increasingly lit world， Eklöf's plea is to not let the light out balance the dark， or take over for good。 Darkness is essential for many endangered species， not least of all Eklöf's beloved bats。The book is written in sho A delightful read， a true little manifesto about the benefits of darkness。Spanning biology， philosophy， palaeontology， mythology， and astronomy， Eklöf - a bat scientist by nature - details a history of light and dark， and why both of these are essential for all life。 In an ever-increasingly lit world， Eklöf's plea is to not let the light out balance the dark， or take over for good。 Darkness is essential for many endangered species， not least of all Eklöf's beloved bats。The book is written in short little chapters， each with a different theme， or approach， making it very digestible。 A lover of darkness， this is a manifesto after my own heart - our inability to see the stars in urban environments is just one example of the richness we lose when we lose darkness。Carpe noctem， indeed。 Highly recommend this one。 。。。more
Camilla Hq
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Viktig och vacker。
David Hirons
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Definitely one I'll go back to， there's so much in here to contemplate， I'm still taking it all in。 As a photographer I'm always seeking out light， and at night I'm usually complaining when there isn't enough， this book's got me to rethink all that。 Definitely one I'll go back to， there's so much in here to contemplate， I'm still taking it all in。 As a photographer I'm always seeking out light， and at night I'm usually complaining when there isn't enough， this book's got me to rethink all that。 。。。more
Mr Brian
，
It would be difficult to write a review of ‘The Darkness Manifesto’ while trying to avoid the lyric of ‘Hello darkness， my old friend’， so let me get this out of the way at the start。 Thankfully， Eklöf also acknowledges this familiar relationship， when he writes， ‘The night is quite simply our friend- we rest in darkness， in its stillness and subtle beauty。 There’s still life in the darkness of night， so let us take back the night， let us seize it。 Carpe noctem’‘The Darkness Manifesto’ is a thor It would be difficult to write a review of ‘The Darkness Manifesto’ while trying to avoid the lyric of ‘Hello darkness， my old friend’， so let me get this out of the way at the start。 Thankfully， Eklöf also acknowledges this familiar relationship， when he writes， ‘The night is quite simply our friend- we rest in darkness， in its stillness and subtle beauty。 There’s still life in the darkness of night， so let us take back the night， let us seize it。 Carpe noctem’‘The Darkness Manifesto’ is a thorough examination of the dangerous impact that light pollution is having on eco-systems and biodiversity around the world and is a call to arms， or ‘a stirring manifesto for natural darkness。’ Eklöf defines light pollution as ‘a collective term used for light that can be regarded as superfluous but still has a great impact on our lives and ecosystems。’ And argues that humans have blurred the boundary between night and day with their spreading glow of artificial light to such an extent that nature is being confounded and disorientated。Eklöf argues that darkness should not be regarded simply as an absence of light， but that ‘it is my absolute view that darkness has an independent worth。’ That there is a balanced interplay between these two states， ‘Because without light， no darkness， and without darkness， no light。’At the same time， however， he acknowledges the emotional attachments that we have to darkness and comments that， ‘To be afraid of the dark lies in our genetic， as well as our cultural heritage。’ He argues that light has always represented safety to humans， as we navigate a darkness that is not our natural world， but rather one in which we are simply visitors。‘All the light we cannot see’With the ever-spreading ‘skyglow’ from cities， humans are creating a world where artificial light blocks out the natural wonder of the stars。 Eklöf explores the Bortle scale- a scale which assesses how much a night sky is affected by light pollution。 He states that， ‘In the very best of night skies， rated as a stage one or two on the Bortle scale， up to six thousand stars or other objects can be seen with the naked eye。’ Despite this majesty， he also identifies that we see but a fraction of the night sky。 ‘Only one out of five people in Europe can see the Milky Way on a daily basis， and in North America and Europe， nearly everyone， 99 per cent， lives under a sky affected by artificial light。 Few people know real darkness or what a starry sky looks like。’ It is therefore not an accident that astro-tourism is increasing as a hobby and people are actively seeking out the darkness to connect to areas where artificial light does not block out the sky。 ‘Dark Sky’ parks and remote areas， far from the urban sprawl are more popular and are increasing in their number。 Could it be that we have recognised- on some level at least- that we have lost our connection to our place in the skies and are aiming to restore this marvel， wonder and awe？ ‘Out of all the stars we humans ought to be able to see with the naked eye， for most of us only a fragment， half a per cent， remains。 The rest have been absorbed by artificial light， disappeared behind a smokescreen of human activity。 They are there， but not for us to see。’Impact on the natural worldThe spread of light pollution has not only inhibited our view of the stars， but has had a catastrophic impact on biodiversity and marine life。 In recent years， we have had repeated messages of the massive decline of insect life and Eklöf does not shy away from blaming humans。 ‘Today， about 40 per cent of all insect species are threatened with extinction 。。。shows that we’re moving towards the earth’s sixth mass extinction。 And humanity is the cause。’ He does accept though that there could be a multitude of reasons for the huge decline in biodiversity， but aims to raise awareness of the impact of artificial， or human created， light。 ‘The number of insects is decreasing。 The reasons for insect death are many， from urbanisation and global warming to insecticides， large-scale farming， monoculture and disappearing forests。 Probably all these factors play a role。 But to everyone who’s ever seen an insect react to light， it is obvious that light pollution is a major cause。’ With half of the insects on the planet being nocturnal， Eklöf urges that there needs to be a re-balancing of priorities between species and that human wishes should not be paramount。 ‘The more attention on the impact of light in ecological systems and our own well-being， the closer we’ll get to reconciling society’s need for light with nature’s need for darkness。’ As animals and insects feel safe in the darkness and seek its protection， it seems that humans are attempting to drown it out entirely in light， as we feel safe in the light instead。 Eklöf draws attention to our religious mythology that light triumphed over darkness where chaos and uncertainty reigned and uses the Christian origin story in Genesis as an example of the historical and cultural acceptance and need that darkness must be conquered。 ‘Human beings have extended their day， and at the same time have forced out the night’s inhabitants。’ We have done this to such an extent that we have changed our planet’s appearance from space- an understanding that we only recognised in the late 20th century。 ‘Humanity’s desire to illuminate the world makes the earth， viewed from space， glow in the night。’Artificial light as a disruptorThe impact of human created light sources on marine and terrestrial life is one which is thankfully the area of more academic study。 Recent studies by the University of Plymouth have focused on the impact of artificial light sources and how they are a danger for marine ecosystems。 The journal Science Direct， has been blunter in their assessment and concluded that ‘Light pollution is a global threat to biodiversity。’ Eklöf recounts in his book the dangers encountered by turtles which were confused and disorientated by man-made light and instead of heading directly to the ocean， began to make their way towards human habitation instead， as they ‘trusted their instinct to follow the light。’ As a result， their natural instinct was destroyed by the light from humans， ‘It can displace 200 million years of instinct in an instant。’ Eklöf also highlights the plight of wallabies being born up to a month later owing to artificial light from a naval base and commented that ‘Nature was again disrupted by man-made light。’Eklöf argues in ‘The Darkness Manifesto’ that we are far from understanding marine life and that the darkness of the oceans is an alien world for humans。 ‘Ocean life is several hundred million years older than terrestrial life and still not fully explored。’ He celebrates the darkness of the ocean， ‘The dark and unknown deep ocean is a world completely different from our own， and there， darkness is the norm and light only comes for short visits。’ He also highlights marine animals that use echo-location， such as sperm whales， ‘whose clicking sounds are sent through the oceans at an incredible 230 decibels’- levels which are life threatening for humans。 （A rocket launch has been measured at 180 decibels） He outlines that military forces such as the US navy are keen to understand more about bio-luminescence and how potentially this natural bio-light could be used to track unknown vessels in the ocean。 There is much to learn from the ocean， but if we continue to pollute it through artificial light， this learning could be lost。 Eklöf concludes this section of the book by commenting， ‘We are a long way from thoroughly understanding the chemistry created by darkness in the creatures of the natural world。’Away from the water， we have all seen examples of nature flowering at ‘the wrong time’ and Eklöf suggests that artificial light plays an important role in causing this。 He also warns of the domino impact on the food chain when late flowerings or no flowerings occur。 ‘At the start of spring， artificial light can accelerate the awakening of the trees， making the buds open prematurely。’ ‘Normally they [bird’s foot trefoil] attract large numbers of aphids， but a late flowering or the absence of flowering can decimate entire populations of aphids， which in turn affects green lacewings， damselflies， ladybirds， hoverflies…the domino effect begins， and the ecosystem is disrupted。’‘The easiest environmental problem to solve’With humans increasingly suffering from sleeping issues as their circadian rhythms move to an unnatural alignment， Eklöf concludes that there is much that we could do to solve the impact of human sources of light pollution。 ‘Light pollution is really the easiest of all the environmental problems to solve， at least technically。’ He acknowledges that the public may find it difficult at first to accept increased darkness， but welcomes moves by councils such as in Germany， where landmarks are no longer lit in darkness。 ‘Light and illuminated environments mean safety for many people， so it may be difficult to accept the increased presence of darkness。’With the growing popularity of the annual ‘Earth Hour’， where individuals， communities and businesses are encouraged to turn off non-essential lights for one hour， Eklöf hopes that our attitudes towards the darkness may turn to one of welcome and for health benefits。 ‘Perception of time changes in the dark; the clock seems to slow down and disappear。 There’s long been talk of light therapy for us northerners in the winter。 But the fact is that even dark therapy is starting to become a concept。’Eklöf concludes his book， both with a warning that time is running out， but also with a list of easy steps to begin to change our cultural relationship with darkness。 ‘The question is how much time we have to act。 Many of the animals that live under the protection of darkness are on the verge of extinction and with them their invaluable services: pollinating insects， pest-hunting bats。 Meanwhile， we humans have ever-worsening sleep and plants are ageing prematurely。’‘The lights don’t always have to be on; there is more to be found in the dark than we think。’ 。。。more
Janette
，
The Darkness Manifesto is a well-researched book on the effects of our ever-increasing love of artificial light on our world。 I was aware of the effect of light pollution on our night skies and have seen several studies on the need for humans to maintain their circadian rhythms but I had no idea about the implications for wildlife。 Even basic information that bats and moths are important pollinators was new to me。 The author is a bat scientist and there is a heavy emphasis on bats during the boo The Darkness Manifesto is a well-researched book on the effects of our ever-increasing love of artificial light on our world。 I was aware of the effect of light pollution on our night skies and have seen several studies on the need for humans to maintain their circadian rhythms but I had no idea about the implications for wildlife。 Even basic information that bats and moths are important pollinators was new to me。 The author is a bat scientist and there is a heavy emphasis on bats during the book but also on birds and other creatures such as coral 。 I found the book to be extremely informative and it certainly made me aware of issues that I had not previously thought of。 It was probably especially apt to read this over the Christmas and New Year period when our towns and homes are all illuminated even more than usual。 The book is very research heavy and at times， I found it to be quite disjointed and lacking a strong narrative flow。 There were several times when he cited a specific incident or piece of research and then just moved straight onto something else when I expected that he would make a further point。I did enjoy reading this and certainly learned a lot from it。 I liked the final part which is his Darkness Manifesto， a series of simple actions that anyone can do。Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Outi
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Interesting and quick to read。
Jesper Linell
，
Om mørkets fundamentale betydning for livet - dyrenes， planternes， vores。 Og om hvordan lysforurening truer livsvigtige processer - og vores helbred og almindelige velbefindende。 Men også om hvad der kan gøres ved det。Eklöf er flagermusforsker。 Flagermus er omdrejningspunktet for bogen， og flagermus er jo i sig selv spændende。
Cath Higgins
，
An insightful， well researched and fascinating read。 The perfect balance between the wonders of the night， the risks they’re under and what we must collectively do to ensure their survival。 A passionate plea to not fear the dark and to do all we can to save it’s inhabitants。 （With thanks to the publisher for the complementary advanced reading copy - although I loved it so much I bought the hardback to give as gifts too！）
Michelle
，
This book has an important message and is generally well told， although I favored the earlier sections which demonstrated the damaging effects on various ecosystems by the increased usage of artificial light。 I was less interested in the sections which explored the impact on humans of light pollution as I was already familiar with its effect on circadian rhythms and sleep。I wish the author had spent more time discussing small ways that people can adjust their use of artificial light to make a mo This book has an important message and is generally well told， although I favored the earlier sections which demonstrated the damaging effects on various ecosystems by the increased usage of artificial light。 I was less interested in the sections which explored the impact on humans of light pollution as I was already familiar with its effect on circadian rhythms and sleep。I wish the author had spent more time discussing small ways that people can adjust their use of artificial light to make a more natural world。 It was all crammed into the brief last chapter， and after reading all the examples set forth， it seemed that more could have been said。It seems that once again industrialization and greed is at the heart of destroying the planet。 As someone who is light sensitive， I wish there were less outdoor lightning， especially in urban settings。 But it seems that most people favor bright， flashy lighting， and so it continues。 I understand the safety concerns of well lit streets， but some of the tourist lighting the author described as being visible in space is astonishing。 I did enjoy the author’s descriptions of what it is like to be in a remote area with a clear sky full of stars。As usual， I listened on audio。 The narrator Owen Findlay was new to me。 He has a British-accented melodic voice and he speaks clearly。 Sometimes his performance touched on the dramatic， which was better suited to fiction than nonfiction。 But overall， he is pleasant to listen to。 。。。more
Camille Kantor
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Really inspiring and fascinating book and I am truly motivated to make a change in my night time light habits。 With that said I had some issues with the cohesion and repetition in the middle section; often felt like I was just getting packed with facts。 The writing was good enough that the over packing of facts wasn’t needed。 I’ll say again though that it did it’s job and I’m gonna go turn off some lights and let the shadows rule。
Lauren
，
If you’ve ever noticed that there are less fireflies than before， or that there are fewer insects on your windshield than previous years - this book helps explain why and what the impact of that loss in biodiversity means。 From learning why there are less fireflies than ever to understanding that city lights cause turtles to turn away from the sea， this book discusses the impact artificial light has on wildlife。 Part memoir of the author’s own experiences in the night sky and definite manifesto If you’ve ever noticed that there are less fireflies than before， or that there are fewer insects on your windshield than previous years - this book helps explain why and what the impact of that loss in biodiversity means。 From learning why there are less fireflies than ever to understanding that city lights cause turtles to turn away from the sea， this book discusses the impact artificial light has on wildlife。 Part memoir of the author’s own experiences in the night sky and definite manifesto for a push against artificial light， this book is a quick read that both fascinates and delights the reader while also exploring the consequences of our human push for more light and what we can do about it to protect our ecosystem and home。 。。。more
Steve
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As always， this review also appears on my blog at: https://livemanylives。wordpress。com/This is a passionate， research-based book that is also very accessible to the layman and sets out both the problems that our light drenched world faces and a way forward that can benefit all life on earth， including ourselves。 It is an argument that will undoubtedly face opposition， most obviously around questions of safety， but it is surely also something that we need to be discussing because there is a balan As always， this review also appears on my blog at: https://livemanylives。wordpress。com/This is a passionate， research-based book that is also very accessible to the layman and sets out both the problems that our light drenched world faces and a way forward that can benefit all life on earth， including ourselves。 It is an argument that will undoubtedly face opposition， most obviously around questions of safety， but it is surely also something that we need to be discussing because there is a balance to be struck。Whenever a conversation strikes up about the environment and human impacts upon it， there is a tendency to de-camp into opposing sides of all or nothing （in fact that is the case with many topics in the public sphere） but the reality is that solutions can be matched to local situations that suit both the human and non-human life that shares each space。 It may be lighting at certain times and not at others， or a change in the lighting colour or direction to provide different types of light to suit the natural cycle。We need to stop seeing the way that we live within the limits of the planet and alongside all other life as a battle between right and wrong， but rather as a dance in which all life is able to participate and flourish。 Johan Eklöf achieves this in his Darkness Manifesto not by waging war on light but by working through the ways in which it helps and hinders us all， understanding the benefits of both light and dark on our wellbeing， and offering balance where we currently have excess。 It is a model we could apply much more actively in our debates and actions。The tagline to the book is “How light pollution threatens the ancient rhythms of life” and it can feel sometimes like human life is under attack from all angles， but in reality it is the case that we have simply allowed many aspects of the way we live to get out of hand。 Our demand to be free of limits means that we have overstretched ourselves and we need to re-learn how freedom flows from limits rather than being restrained by them。The chapters are small， presenting a series of essays on different aspects of the topic， and the language is straightforward to get along with。 Eklöf works through the science behind his arguments but does not create a barrier with it and he closes with some simple ideas to consider in your personal journey。 Coincidently， just last night， I was at a meeting of a local group of people interested in living more sustainably and the topic of streetlights was raised by a member of the group。 It is clearly something that is on people’s minds and it was great to immediately be able to offer some supporting arguments from this book。I’m also about to go on holiday and will be taking part in a dark walk on Exmoor， which is soon to celebrate its annual Dark Skies Festival， and feel all the more inspired to participate in the event and take that experience of darkness into my day-to-day life。 The Darkness Manifesto is an engaging and timely book with a strong and positive message。 I shall be recommending it widely and introducing its themes into both the conversations I have locally and my own personal experiments in trying to live more sustainably and in tune with the natural rhythms of the world。 。。。more
Mursupaani
，
Kauniisti kirjoitettu kirja yöstä， pimeän hyvyydestä ja valosaasteen vaikutuksista。 Kirjoitukset olivat lyhyitä， eli kirja on tarvittaessa helppo jättää kesken （tai päin vastoin） - seuraava luku on jo parin sivun päässä。
Aino
，
Aivan uudenlaista ajateltavaa！
Margaret
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Until I read this book all I knew about light pollution was its effect on the night sky， how artificial light impairs our view of the sky， the stars and the planets。 But I hadn’t realised just how much it adversely affects our environment， wildlife and our own health。 This book is full of fascinating facts about the impact that darkness and the night have on all living creatures， including ourselves。Artificial lighting today makes up a tenth of our total energy usage but most of it is of little Until I read this book all I knew about light pollution was its effect on the night sky， how artificial light impairs our view of the sky， the stars and the planets。 But I hadn’t realised just how much it adversely affects our environment， wildlife and our own health。 This book is full of fascinating facts about the impact that darkness and the night have on all living creatures， including ourselves。Artificial lighting today makes up a tenth of our total energy usage but most of it is of little benefit to us， spilling out into the sky。 Animals cannot distinguish between artificial light and natural daylight which means their circadian rhythms are disrupted， sending body clocks awry， disrupting our sleep。There is， of course， the need for safety and security， and Eklöf cites several examples of places around the world that have projects that promote darkness， and have established light pollution laws， such as France where there are regulations to limit how much light， and what kind of light， can be emitted into the atmosphere。 The light needs to be adapted to suit the needs of both animals and humans。Eklöf ends his book with his Darkness Manifesto， urging us to become aware of the darkness， to protect and preserve it individually by turning off lights when not in a room， and letting your garden rest in darkness at night; to discover nocturnal life; to observe the different phases of twilight and how the sun gives way to the moon and stars; and to learn more about the darkness and its importance for the survival of animals and plants。 He also asks us to inform local authorities about the dangers of light pollution。 To my mind the current energy crisis is another reason to reduce our use of lighting and electricity。My thanks to the publishers for a review copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Tianna
，
This is a beautifully written book however for me it was a little too basic， I think it's more aimed at people with less of an ecology or related background。 The chapters are kept short which is great when learning about new topics and the author adding his own experiences was nice to read and I'd have liked more of this。 This is a beautifully written book however for me it was a little too basic， I think it's more aimed at people with less of an ecology or related background。 The chapters are kept short which is great when learning about new topics and the author adding his own experiences was nice to read and I'd have liked more of this。 。。。more
Annarella
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This is an interesting and thought provoking book about light pollution。 i think that plenty of people don't know what the sky looks like if you are in the country or far from a town。it's a marvellous sight and we are losing it。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine This is an interesting and thought provoking book about light pollution。 i think that plenty of people don't know what the sky looks like if you are in the country or far from a town。it's a marvellous sight and we are losing it。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Peter Baran
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I have lived in London all of my life， and if you ask me what colour the night sky is， I would say dirty brown。 The sodium orange glow of London streetlights （which have slowly changed in my lifetime） shines just under one million lights in the sky。 It's a wonder it gets dark at all。 The countryside on the other hand is weird。 It has a dark sky。 Then loads and loads of these little twinkly things come out - just as your eyes get used to the dark。 It is frankly a little disconcerting。 So I came i I have lived in London all of my life， and if you ask me what colour the night sky is， I would say dirty brown。 The sodium orange glow of London streetlights （which have slowly changed in my lifetime） shines just under one million lights in the sky。 It's a wonder it gets dark at all。 The countryside on the other hand is weird。 It has a dark sky。 Then loads and loads of these little twinkly things come out - just as your eyes get used to the dark。 It is frankly a little disconcerting。 So I came into The Darkness Manifesto， a campaign against light pollution， with plenty of views on the subject。 All of which are neatly summarised in the first chapter。 Ourselves， and the natural world， are biologically cued to light and darkness， and constant light shining everywhere is knocking us out of kilter。 And then chapter two gave a few more examples。 And chapter three。 And。。。The Darkness Manifesto is not really a manifesto。 It is far too reasonable a book to use to take to the streets。 Eklöf studies bats so he's well aware that his love of darkness might be a peculiar quirk of his own。 I think he doesn't need to argue too much， certainly not at the expense of perhaps coming up with a plan。 There is a point when I shouted alright already at the book when he was telling me about certain moths which were not sexually active， they were one of hundreds of case studies he eludes to， alongside the effect on humans。 And yet when he gets near the end he equivocates - he knows the streetlights are good for safety，，，The Darkness Manifesto is a good summary of the effects of artificial light in our world。 But as he gets to the end he starts to consider the midground of ultra-cheap， low power， directional， electromagnetic spectrum-limited LED's and any suggestion that he will be gluing his face to a Van Gogh to get lightbulbs turned off dissipates。 He's far too reasonable to be a rabble-rouser， and whilst this is interesting as a collection of scientific tidbits， he ends up coming up with a wishy-washy set of ideas， and compromises which aren't really given enough space to feel fully formed。 。。。more
Vartika
，
Do you ever wonder why Van Gogh's Starry Night arrests our generation so？ It is a beautiful painting， of course， but it also seems to speak to something deeper within us。 Reading Johan Eklöf's book， I was struck by an epiphany: Starry Night is one of our few remaining windows into the night sky as it appeared for centuries before we overwhelmed its serene glow with our city lights。 A lot has been said of light pollution and how it has stolen the delight of seeing the stars from us。 In The Darkne Do you ever wonder why Van Gogh's Starry Night arrests our generation so？ It is a beautiful painting， of course， but it also seems to speak to something deeper within us。 Reading Johan Eklöf's book， I was struck by an epiphany: Starry Night is one of our few remaining windows into the night sky as it appeared for centuries before we overwhelmed its serene glow with our city lights。 A lot has been said of light pollution and how it has stolen the delight of seeing the stars from us。 In The Darkness Manifesto， Eklöf brings to attention its more sinister implications towards our world。 Speaking from expertise as a bat scientist， he addressed how the dying darkness affects life on earth by disrupting our circadian rhythm—be it bats， moths， and other insects and pollinators， birds， turtles， tigers， whales， or human beings， we are all significantly， worryingly endangered by the postmodern era's burst of artificial illumination。 Having explored the reason for pushing the darkness， he advocates for dwelling in a balance with the light， and leads readers towards considering a future where we embrace the night and its gift of shadows。 Though well-intentioned and informative， I found the book somewhat lacking in terms of narrative。 The research， albeit deserving of attention， is often presented in a disjointed， jerky fashion that does not suit the purpose of the volume; the impact of light pollution being left to float on the page rather than being driven home does not flatter the nature of this book as a manifesto。 Still， Eklöf here manages to make a significant amount of scientific study fairly accessible， and successfully invites the reader to contend with our relationship with sight， with light， and with the night。 With the right editor and a different narrative approach， this could be a 5 star read。 For now: 2。5 stars。 Many thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley。 。。。more
Jemima Pett
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This is an excellent book， full of interesting evidence， arguments， and food for thought。 The writer has an engaging style， although he does tend to jump about from one subject to another。 It may be Kindle run-on formatting to a certain extent。 Eklöf covers a huge amount of material， all of it of interest to me， from bats his specialism） to LEDs。 He covers evolution of sight: I’ve not considered how we got from primordial soup to animals with eyes and other sensory organs developed。 There is ple This is an excellent book， full of interesting evidence， arguments， and food for thought。 The writer has an engaging style， although he does tend to jump about from one subject to another。 It may be Kindle run-on formatting to a certain extent。 Eklöf covers a huge amount of material， all of it of interest to me， from bats his specialism） to LEDs。 He covers evolution of sight: I’ve not considered how we got from primordial soup to animals with eyes and other sensory organs developed。 There is plenty of delving into geological evidence， often in Sweden， in different types of geology from that I’m used to。In many ways this was the charm of the book。 It is cross-cutting in terms of its scientific disciplines， but in a way that delves further than my scope。 The examination of the physics of light blends into the structure of the eye。 Yes， we did this school。 But what about the development of sight in other ways， and the adaptations of human eyesight to low levels？We are still speculating about the exact form of sight in other mammals。 All we can guess is that their ability to see infrared somehow ‘looks’ like our IR cameras。 But we only know they see things differently at night。 It made me think more about my own pets， not only what they see， but the light conditions that they need for health。 In the Darkness Manifesto， the author devotes a large section to the physical need for changing light。 Not just light intensity but hue， for a period of natural darkness。 This leads into how light pollution disrupts whole ecologies。 The food chain will collapse if we don’t act fast。Whether it was the translation or something else， there were several phrases that didn’t make sense to me。 Some were funny， others just left me wondering what the author meant。 ‘Undecayed animals’ in a rock formation confused me。 The statue of a scientist where ‘you’ll see a small box with a bat on one knee’ amused me。 Is the bat kneeling on the box？ Has the box got a knee？ Just one thing that could be phrased better。I made plenty of notes because I would like to follow them up。 This book did not have references in the text， and I really wanted them。 I would love to send the relevant research links to our highways department， who recently consulted us on street lighting plans。 There is a Reference section at the back， in alphabetical order， but no hint in the text to help you find the one you want。 Paper titles are not necessarily obvious。 The references and further reading take 10% of the book。 A nice chunk。Usability details aside， this is an important book。 It covers the many aspects of light pollution in a pragmatic way， as well as re-examining the human relationship with the dark。 And finishes with great examples of countries that are making a difference。 。。。more
Jeff
，
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 t 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。 。。。more
Jan Koster
，
Nee， dit is geen reactie op het vorige door mij besproken boek， wel stom toeval。 Dit gaat over de nadelige gevolgen van lichtvervuiling。 De steeds maar toenemende hoeveelheid kunstlicht verstoort het levensritme van vrijwel alle plant- en diersoorten en dat vormt dan weer， naast alle andere， een extra bedreiging voor de fragiele ecosystemen。 Toegankeljke tekst， je hoeft geen wetenschapper te zijn om zijn betoog te kunnen volgen， zonder dat het afbreuk doet aan de helaas onheilspellende boodschap Nee， dit is geen reactie op het vorige door mij besproken boek， wel stom toeval。 Dit gaat over de nadelige gevolgen van lichtvervuiling。 De steeds maar toenemende hoeveelheid kunstlicht verstoort het levensritme van vrijwel alle plant- en diersoorten en dat vormt dan weer， naast alle andere， een extra bedreiging voor de fragiele ecosystemen。 Toegankeljke tekst， je hoeft geen wetenschapper te zijn om zijn betoog te kunnen volgen， zonder dat het afbreuk doet aan de helaas onheilspellende boodschap。 Hopelijk een aanzet tot meer bewustwording。Lees meer: bit。ly/3h3zAyI 。。。more
Merel
，
Tärkeä aihe， jota ei käsitellä tarpeeksi。 Kirja on kuitenkin hieman poukkoileva ja jonkinlainen selkeä yhtenäisyys puuttuu。
Laura Walin
，
Tässä kirjassa oli todella mielenkiintoinen aihe， nimittäin se， kuinka ihminen kaikessa puuhakkuudessaan （ajatus lainattu Tiina Raevaaran kolumnista） on tullut valaisseeksi koko planeettamme sillä tavalla， että siitä on haittaa ihan kaikille lajeille， ihminen itse mukaan lukien。Valo sekoittaa hyönteisten saalistuksen， sammakoiden lisääntymisen ja ihmisen unirytmin。 Lisäksi kun valoa on liikaa me ihmiset menetämme pimeyden lumon， tähtitaivaan ja monta muuta kokemusta， jotka vain pimeydessä voi ha Tässä kirjassa oli todella mielenkiintoinen aihe， nimittäin se， kuinka ihminen kaikessa puuhakkuudessaan （ajatus lainattu Tiina Raevaaran kolumnista） on tullut valaisseeksi koko planeettamme sillä tavalla， että siitä on haittaa ihan kaikille lajeille， ihminen itse mukaan lukien。Valo sekoittaa hyönteisten saalistuksen， sammakoiden lisääntymisen ja ihmisen unirytmin。 Lisäksi kun valoa on liikaa me ihmiset menetämme pimeyden lumon， tähtitaivaan ja monta muuta kokemusta， jotka vain pimeydessä voi havaita。 Sen asemesta syydämme turhaan energia taivaalle。Eklöfin yksittäiset luvut ovat hyvin mielenkiintoisia， mutta kokonaisuus jää hahmottumatta， sillä tarinat pomppivat ihmisnäkökulmasta eläin- tai kasvisnäkökulmaan。 Se tulee kuitenkin selväksi， että ihmisen tuottama keinovalo - valosaaste - vaikuttaa monin erin tavoin。 。。。more
Chantal Lyons
，
I will preface this review with the caveat that I am probably not the best kind of reader for this book。 This book is， to me， a little more basic than I'm used to - aimed at people who are not ecologists （or members of related disciplines） by training。 That said， this is a beautiful and lovingly written exploration of the importance of night to ecosystems， species， and human society。 I found the ultra-short chapter style not quite to my taste， but I imagine this will suit many other readers well I will preface this review with the caveat that I am probably not the best kind of reader for this book。 This book is， to me， a little more basic than I'm used to - aimed at people who are not ecologists （or members of related disciplines） by training。 That said， this is a beautiful and lovingly written exploration of the importance of night to ecosystems， species， and human society。 I found the ultra-short chapter style not quite to my taste， but I imagine this will suit many other readers well， especially those who might find themselves absorbing a lot of new information。 I particularly appreciated the sections when Eklöf wove his own personal and family experiences into the narrative - I would have liked even more of this！ A digestible， accessible， and engagingly-written ode to life in the darkness。（With thanks to Random House and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
Chameleon Bay
，
Maailma ilman pimeää oli "valaiseva" teos siitä， miten lisääntynyt valosaaste vaikuttaa ympäristöömme。 Erityisen kiinnostavia olivat kuvaukset erilaisten eläinlajien vaikeuksista sopeutua tarpeeksi nopeasti muuttuviin elinympäristöihinsä。 Ihmisille valaistut kulkutiet ja rakennukset ovat usein turvallisuuskysymys， mutta useille lajeille pimeys on elinehto。 Vaikka kaupungin valoisuus on ilmiö， joka on osa omaakin arkea， ei sitä useinkaan tule miettineeksi muuten kuin oman hyvinvoinnin kannalta。 K Maailma ilman pimeää oli "valaiseva" teos siitä， miten lisääntynyt valosaaste vaikuttaa ympäristöömme。 Erityisen kiinnostavia olivat kuvaukset erilaisten eläinlajien vaikeuksista sopeutua tarpeeksi nopeasti muuttuviin elinympäristöihinsä。 Ihmisille valaistut kulkutiet ja rakennukset ovat usein turvallisuuskysymys， mutta useille lajeille pimeys on elinehto。 Vaikka kaupungin valoisuus on ilmiö， joka on osa omaakin arkea， ei sitä useinkaan tule miettineeksi muuten kuin oman hyvinvoinnin kannalta。 Kiitos tämän kirjan， nyt tulee。Tietokirjassa itseä hämmentää usein minä-muodon käyttäminen ja kirjailija omakohtaiset kokemukset - niin tälläkin kertaa。 Pääosin ensimmäisen persoonan käyttö oli perusteltua kirjailijan tekemistä tutkimuksista kerrottaessa， mutta se että kirja alkoi hyvin fiktiomaisesti ja kirjaimellisesti ensimmäisessä sanassa oli persoonapääte， latisti tavallaan vaikutelmaa tieteellisestä teoksesta heti alkuunsa。Lisäksi kirjassa， jonka on tarkoitus kertoa maailmasta ilman pimeää， puhuttiin hämmentävän paljon valosta。 Kirjan keskiosa käsitteli erilaisten taivaankappaleiden löytymisestä ja hehkulampun keksimisestä lähtien kaikki mahdolliset ilmiöt， jotka olisivat menneet huomattavasti paremmin "maailma ilman valoa" - teeman alle。 Naurahdin ääneen， kun kirjassa itse asiassa otettiin kantaa tähän asiaan， ja selitettiin， kuinka "pimeys kuitenkin yksinomaa käsitellään valosta käsin" ja "pimeys käsitetään kaikessa yksinkertaisuudessaan valon puutteeksi"。 Tottahan nämä ovat， mutta nyt tuli lähinnä se olo， että kirjaan ollaan haluttu kolmannes lisää pituutta。Kaiken kaikkiaan kirja oli kuitenkin silmiä avaava ja kiinnostava， ja suosittelen sitä varsinkin ihmisille， joilla on mahdollisuus vaikuttaa esimerkiksi pihavalaistukseen ja näin auttaa lajeja tarjoamalla edes pienen valottoman alueen yöaikaan。 。。。more
Sarah Blake
，
SPÄNNANDE！ Mycket nya infallsvinklar， en del aha-upplevelser， en del wow-stunder。 Alla borde läsa om man inte har en inblick i ljusföroreningar och mörkrets betydelse。 Känns dock delvis som en inledning hela boken， kapitlen slutar ofta abrupt och många tankar och exempel hänger löst utan sammanhang och avslutning。 Kapitelindelningen är inte helt tydlig och det är en hel del upprepningar och överlappningar som ger ett stökigt intryck， vilket gör läsningen något förvirrande i stunder。 Vill ändå lä SPÄNNANDE！ Mycket nya infallsvinklar， en del aha-upplevelser， en del wow-stunder。 Alla borde läsa om man inte har en inblick i ljusföroreningar och mörkrets betydelse。 Känns dock delvis som en inledning hela boken， kapitlen slutar ofta abrupt och många tankar och exempel hänger löst utan sammanhang och avslutning。 Kapitelindelningen är inte helt tydlig och det är en hel del upprepningar och överlappningar som ger ett stökigt intryck， vilket gör läsningen något förvirrande i stunder。 Vill ändå läsa den igen， för att kunna läsa vidare på annat håll om de bitar som jag tyckte var wow！ 。。。more
Jessika Lilja
，
Intressant och tankeväckande bok om balansen mellan ljus och mörker。 Boken lägger särskild vikt vid mörkrets betydelse för människor， djur och insekter och tar upp hur viktigt det är att värna om mörkret。
Jesper Wiklund
，