Earth gets brighter every year but progression is volatile, study finds
Summary
A new study shows that Earth’s artificial light at night has increased by 16% from 2014 to 2022, but this change is uneven and sometimes reverses in certain regions. Factors like the Covid-19 pandemic, energy regulations, economic problems, and conflicts have caused some areas to get dimmer while others get brighter.Key Facts
- Researchers analyzed over 1.1 million satellite images from 2014 to 2022 to measure night-time light on Earth.
- Artificial night light grew by 16% globally in that period, continuing a trend of increasing light pollution.
- Some places, such as Europe and Venezuela, saw a decrease in night-time light due to energy efficiency rules and economic collapse.
- The Covid-19 pandemic and reduced industrial activity caused temporary dimming in many regions.
- The Ukraine-Russia war affected night light patterns in that area.
- Asia led the world in the increase of artificial night light, with rapid urban growth in China and northern India.
- The study revealed widespread gas flaring (burning off natural gas) in US oil production areas like Texas and North Dakota.
- Scientists used advanced image processing to remove interference like clouds and moonlight to get accurate measurements.
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