Forces of Darkness Make Pitch to Congress to Fight Light Pollution

"Experts"?

The connotation of "expert" is that the person has a deep knowledge of the subject involved. Yet, put several in a room and you will have several "expert" opinions. Obviously, some are wrong, if not all, and those with the wrong view or understanding are not really "expert" in the field since what they claim is their knowledge is not knowledge but an erroneous view. Saying 2 plus 2 is 5 is not knowledge. It's likely that there is no such thing as an "expert", only those who have given the subject considerable study and have developed their conclusions. Much of what has been taught in the "101" classes and beyond as knowledge is eventually discarded by new conclusions...thus it was never real knowledge...and those who taught it were not "experts".

Valjean of OR @ Aug 04, 2008 13:09:09 PM

"Experts"?

The connotation of "expert" is that the person has a deep knowledge of the subject involved. Yet, put several in a room and you will have several "expert" opinions. Obviously, some are wrong and those with the wrong view or understanding are not really "expert" in the field since what they claim is their knowledge is not knowledge but an erroneous view. Saying 2 plus 2 is 5 is not knowledge. It's likely that there is no such thing as an "expert", only those who have given the subject considerable study and have developed their conclusions, which may be right or wrong. Much of what has been taught in the "101" classes and beyond as knowledge is eventually discarded by new conclusions...thus it was never real knowledge.

Valjean of @ Aug 04, 2008 13:06:33 PM

light at night melatonin circadian disruption and human cancer

Another recent forum covered some of the effects of light at night on sleep and circadian disruption and cancer (6/20/08 NYAS - The Role of Genetics and Gene Expression in Sleep Regulation and Dysregulation)

1. Annual worldwide incidence of advanced cancer: 30 million new cancers occur each year; 15 million are fatal and thereby become “advanced” each year. Advanced cancer causes severe circadian disruption, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, fatigue and poor quality of life.

Can melatonin or its MT1 receptor agonist or other chronobiotics and/or chronobiotic behavioral modifications improve or correct circadian disruption associated with cancer bearing?

If so, will this help the cancer patient

• Sleep better at night

• Be more active and less fatigued in the daytime

• Decrease anxiety

• Diminish depression and enhance mood

• Improve quality of life

• Improve functional performance status

• Prolong his/her life

2. Annual worldwide incidence of cancers whose risk is known to be modified by circadian disruption/light at night/nocturnal melatonin suppression (some 12 million): breast cancer 4 million/year; colon cancer 3 million/year; prostate 4 million/year; endometrium 800,000/year may be preventable. The population at risk is immense.

Can melatonin or its MT1 receptor agonist or other chronobiotics and/or chronobiotic behavioral modifications prevent cancers whose risk is increased by circadian disruption/light at night/nocturnal melatonin suppression (breast, colon, prostate, and endometrium)? If so does it do so by correcting circadian disruption and/or through other melatonin mechanisms? How many lives would this cancer prevention save? How much suffering would it avert?

These are each important open questions that should be considered.

WJM Hrushesky, MD of SC @ Jun 23, 2008 11:42:19 AM

Hearing synopsis?

Will there be any write up from the hearing which others can read? I am thinking of those from overseas who are concerned with LP as a non-astronomical issue as well as concerned with it destroying astronomy as a ground based science.. The RCEP in the UK is paying attention to these harmful insidious effects. The utilities are not! Graham Cliff, http://www.lightpollution.org.uk

Graham Cliff @ Jun 21, 2008 07:23:35 AM

Just curious

Was there testimony from the utilty company rep? Pro or con? Thanks Ben for participating in this briefing. The light pollution community has a great ally.

Jina Saccacio of FL @ Jun 21, 2008 02:19:08 AM

Carcinogenicity of Night Shift work

Clarification ... Just to set the record straight, the Working Group of the International Agency for Cancer Research of the World Health Organization actually concluded in their recent summary report (Straif et al., Lancet Oncology vol. 8:1065-1066, 2007) that "shift work that involves circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans" . Certainly, chronic exposure of night shift workers to light at night is a likely etiological agent since the experimental work in animals convincingly points to the carcinogenicity of light at night resulting from circadian disruption that involves melatonin suppression. Nevertheless, other aspects of night shift work, not involving exposure to light at night, can not be totally ruled out at this time; thus the IARC/WHO's designation of shift work, rather than light at night per se, as a probable carcinogen.

David Blask of NY @ Jun 21, 2008 02:04:57 AM

Probable Human Carcinogen...

Correction... Light at night (not shift work) has been labeled a probable carcinogen. The distinction is critical... as it removes any doubt that we alter the night environment at our own risk.

Anthony Arrigo of UT @ Jun 21, 2008 01:04:54 AM