Covid, light pollution regulations and faltering global economy affect location and intensity of brightness
Earth continues to get brighter every year, researchers have found, but the location and intensity of the progression has become increasingly volatile because of Covid-19, regulations on light pollution, and a faltering global economy.
Nasa-funded researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) studied more than 1.1m satellite images taken over a nine-year period to establish that the planet’s artificial light increased by a net 16% between 2014 and 2022.
The figure is in keeping with a 2017 study that found Earth’s artificially lit outdoor areas grew by 2% annually over the previous five years, and that light pollution encroached on darkness almost everywhere.
The difference in the latest study, published this month in Nature after peer review, is the finding that some parts of the planet became dimmer, helping to offset a 34% overall rise in global radiance.
