During a recent visit to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, I found myself standing before an exhibit of darkness. It showed how the natural night sky, once scattered with stars and galaxies, is vanishing under the steady glare of artificial light. In Pakistan, this issue rarely enters public discourse.

We worry about electricity shortages, rising bills and climate change — but we seldom pause to consider how light itself, when misused, becomes pollution.

Yet, in cities like Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, the stars have all but disappeared. What we once took for granted such as seeing constellations from a rooftop or watching a shooting star is now a fading memory, especially for children growing up under the sodium glow of streetlamps.

Light pollution is more than a loss of wonder. It has measurable and growing impacts. Studies around the world show that excessive artificial light disrupts ecosystems by confusing migratory birds, insects and nocturnal animals.

It alters feeding........

© The Express Tribune