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SUMMARY:Nature and Environment Book Club: The Darkness Manifesto
DESCRIPTION:Please contact facilitator Hilary Caws-Elwitt for updated 
 meeting info and to join the mailing list.\n\nThe Nature and Environment 
 Book Club is devoted to the best of nature writing and environmental 
 reporting with discussions on the second Wednesday of each month. Readers 
 and writers interested in books ranging from such classics as Annie 
 Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to topical reportage like Elizabeth 
 Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction will want to join the 
 conversation.\n\n\nThis month's book is The Darkness Manifesto by Johan 
 Eklöf.\n\nHow much light is too much light? Satellite pictures show our 
 planet as a brightly glowing orb\, and in our era of constant 
 illumination\, light pollution has become a major issue. The world’s 
 flora and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and 
 night. But in the last 150 years\, we have extended our day—and in doing 
 so have forced out the inhabitants of the night and disrupted the circadian 
 rhythms necessary to sustain all living things\, including ourselves. In 
 this “well-researched and surprisingly lyrical” (The New Statesman\, 
 UK) book\, Swedish conservationist Johan Eklöf urges us to appreciate 
 natural darkness\, its creatures\, and its unique benefits. He ponders the 
 beauties of the night sky\, traces the errant paths of light-drunk moths 
 and the swift dives of keen-eyed owls\, and shows us the bioluminescent 
 creatures of the deepest oceans. As a devoted friend of the night\, Eklöf 
 reveals the startling domino effect of diminishing darkness: insects\, 
 dumbfounded by streetlamps\, failing to reproduce\; birds blinded and 
 bewildered by artificial lights\; and bats starving as they wait in vain 
 for insects that only come out in the dark. For humans\, light-induced 
 sleep disturbances impact our hormones and weight\, and can contribute to 
 mental health problems like chronic stress and depression. The 
 streetlamps\, floodlights\, and neon signs of cities are altering entire 
 ecosystems\, and scientists are only just beginning to understand their 
 long-term effects. The light bulb—long the symbol of progress and 
 development—needs to be turned off. “Urgent…vivid…eye-opening” 
 (Publishers Weekly)\, and ultimately encouraging\, The Darkness Manifesto 
 outlines simple steps that we can take to benefit ourselves and the planet. 
 In order to ensure a bright future\, we must embrace the darkness.\n\n
LOCATION:Watson Room
ORGANIZER;CN="Forbes Library":MAILTO:info@forbeslibrary.org
CATEGORIES:Adult Events, Book Discussions, Recurring Events
CONTACT;CN="Forbes Library":MAILTO:info@forbeslibrary.org
STATUS:CONFIRMED
UID:LibCal-11408490
URL:https://forbeslibrary.libcal.com/event/11408490
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