(translated by 吳耀翰)
Because Taipei city is such that the residential always mixes with the commercial, and since commercial buildings here often leave their lights on after closing, we have a really bad case of nightly light pollution. If you don’t have proper blinds and an eye mask, light sleepers and insomniacs may have a tough time sleeping. But guess who else suffers from this light pollution? The birds! – I was shocked to know that.
因為台北是個混雜著商業的居住地，而商辦大樓通常在關門下班後仍讓建築物外的燈光開著，因此我們有夜間光汙染的不好例子。你若沒有合適的眼盲或是眼罩，無法在光照下睡眠或是有失眠症狀的人，可能無法好好睡一覺。但猜猜看還有誰受光害之苦？鳥類！－－我非常驚訝，光汙染鳥類。
Historically, before electric light and big cities, people had candles and the moon to light their nights – the sun and smiles to light their days… 🙂 Not sure if in the end Tesla’s invention is such a good one after all, until people know the consequences, and ensure they are minimal.
回溯歷史，在電燈及大城市尚未出現前，人類用蠟燭及月光照亮黑夜，太陽及笑容照亮白天。不確定特斯拉（Nikola Tesla）的發明是好的，直到他們知道這發明的結果，並確定他們是有限的。
Today, people are spilling massive amounts of money paying for electricity to light their store signs at night on streets where no one is walking or paying attention to stores that are shut tight till the morning. It’s a huge waste of personal resources and national stores of electricity, not to mention the light pollution! Makes me crazy! The hugest promotion of a place is the hospitality, not how bright your commercial lights are during closing hours at 3am… There is this one woman on Wuxing St. 吳興街 who is the main person at the counter during the day serving lunchtime customers. Her smile – genuine and sweet – never ceases! It’s a beautiful thing. She’s a confident, happy, inviting personality. There’s never a day where a crowd doesn’t surround their counter waiting for tea!
今日，人們花了大筆錢去點亮夜間的商店招牌，這些招牌的所在地根本就沒人經過或注意，但還是讓它亮到天亮。這是個人資源及國家電儲蓄量的大浪費，更不用說光汙染的問題！讓我快抓狂了！最大的需求地應該是醫院，而不是你的店家在半夜三點仍亮著招牌。吳興街有這麼一個女人，她是午餐時間服務客人的主要人物。她的笑容~真誠且甜美~未曾止息！這是很美好的一件事。她有著自信，快樂，好客的個性。未曾有過一天人們不圍繞著她的店家等待一杯茶。
As a recovered insomniac, I still am more sensitive to nighttime sleeping conditions, that after my tenancy year is up, I’ll be moving to a place closer to the little mountainous area on the outskirts of Taipei, away from the sound and air pollution of traffic, and light pollution of streetlamps and silly, ultra-urbanized stores that are so focused on promoting themselves.
身為一個已痊癒的失眠者，我仍然對於晚上睡覺的品質非常敏感，等我的房租合約到期後，我將會搬去台北近郊較靠山的區域，遠離交通帶來的噪音及空氣汙染，以及街燈、專注於營業的都市化商店所帶來的光汙染。
An article from The Dark Sky Movement says: ‘Plants and animals, including humans, are attuned to the 24-hour seasonal cycle of light and dark that has ruled the planet for millions of years. Mating behaviors, the timing of migration, sleep, and predation are all determined by the length of nighttime darkness. Introducing electric light into the landscape and into the atmosphere, in the form of skyglow, can disrupt these cycles and patterns. Unlike the developer’s bulldozer, light pollution destroys natural habitats insidiously.’
一篇來自黑夜行動雜誌的文章寫到，‘植物、動物包括人類都受二十四小時的季節性明暗交替約制，這樣的頻率已經規範的這星球數百年了。交配、遷徙的行為、睡眠以及捕食都受到黑夜長度的影響。若將燈光注入地表並穿越大氣，成為霞光的形式，可能會破壞這樣的循環及模式。不像開發者的推土機，光污染會陰險地破壞自然生態。’
‘The rising tide of energy-efficient LED streetlighting could prove a doubled-edged sword in terms of light pollution impacts on wildlife. LED technology lends itself to control in terms of both beampattern and dimming/switching; therefore careful deployment of LED lighting using higher levels of control could abate some of the problems caused by light pollution. However, the replacement of HPS street- and area lighting with LED could introduce a major change in the color of urban skyglow. The higher blue content in LED lighting is more subject to scattering in the atmosphere, especially by cloud cover, thus increasing skyglow. In addition, the blue spectra have a greater impact on melatonin production and could further disrupt sleep patterns in diurnal animals, including humans.’
‘使用高效能的LED燈作為街燈的浪潮可以證明光汙染對於野生動物的兩刃劍性質。LED科技讓它們可以在波相圖中控制，因此LED燈的高階運用可以消滅一些光汙染帶來的問題。然而，取代HPS的街燈可能會造成都市霓虹光顏色的重要改變。LED燈中高藍光的能量較易聚集在大氣層，特別是在雲層，因此增加了虹光。此外，藍色的波長對於褪黑激素的製造有較大影響，並可能進一步中斷動物及人類的睡眠。’
‘James Karl Fischer, president of the not-for-profit Zoological Lighting Institute and principal of Zoological Lighting Services , is concerned: “Efficiency is great for saving money, but it must be combined with light output. Overall, outdoor light levels keep going up and up and up, and more efficient sources contribute to that. It’s not as if energy consumption is being cut. It’s as high as it’s ever been.”‘
‘非營利性機構動物性光照公司的總裁詹姆士．卡爾（James Karl Fischer）認為，“效能是省錢的好方法，但必須與輸出作結合考量。整體而言，戶外的光照等級持續地上升，而更多有效率的來源造成了這事實。這不是能源有可能被中斷的問題，這是它已到了有史最高點。”’
‘…dazzling city lights can confuse migrating birds and lure them into urban areas. Birds attracted by light may collide with buildings or circle light sources endlessly until they are exhausted.’
‘…眩目的都市燈光可能造成遷徙中候鳥的困惑，並誘使牠們飛進都市。被光吸引的鳥可能會與撞上建築物或無止盡地繞著光源直到筋疲力盡為止。’
So, what’s the solution? Taiwan needs codes and legislation around urban lighting. Store owners, residents, and skyscrapers, please turn your lights off at night! Save the money, and burn less coal in thermal power plants while you’re at it!
所以解決的辦法是甚麼呢？台灣需要都市照明的規範及立法。店家、居民及高樓大廈，晚上請將燈關上。省錢並減少你居住這個星球的碳排放量。
Instead, let your love light the night. 😉 xoxo
相對地，讓你的愛光照亮夜晚。
