Episode 209: Starving for Darkness #4 - Dr Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel is a Victim of Light Pollution

Astrophysicist Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel has been involved in light pollution issues since the mid-1990s and has contributed to over 100 articles, many related to light pollution. He is the leader of “Cities at Night,” a citizen-supported project coordinated with NASA and other space agencies that use ISS night imagery to raise light pollution awareness.Alejandro discusses his personal experiences with light pollution, and his analysis of pictures of cities at night taken from the International Space Station. These pictures led to a discussion on crime statistics and its relation to electric outdoor light at night. European cities with significantly varying amounts of outdoor light at night had no noticeable difference in levels of violent crime. While this observation is anecdotal, it leads to the conclusion that more study is needed to challenge, not confirm, the standard assumption that more electric light means less violence and crime. It was further postulated that the reverse may be true.