It looks like someone didn't read the memo about how bad light pollution is — and how to be a good neighbor.
A Reddit user in the r/ABoringDystopia subreddit shared a photo of a large, fully-lit truck illegally parked in an apartment building parking lot at night to sell advertising space. People in the comment section were rightfully sharing jokes about what the poster should do about the truck, but one comment made a sad observation.
"It's an ad for advertisers. What a way to bring suffering to earth," one Redditor noted.
It's unnecessary suffering when you consider the recent trends with light pollution. A study by Science revealed light pollution has been increasing nearly 10% each year since 2011.
Wasted electricity means extra carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere, leading to further warming of the Earth. Energy-related carbon pollution hit a record-high 40.7 billion tons in 2023, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency. This past February was the hottest February on record, according to the European Union's climate body.
The phrase "kill the lights" has never been more appropriate in this case, especially since it's a potential safety hazard, as one Reddit user shared: "I saw one of those while in the car at night … lights fully on. I swear I couldn't see anything around it because of how bright it was."
Another Redditor summed up the absurdity of the situation: "Great. A truck designed to be as annoying as possible, just so people can go 'wow, that's an eyesore. People will definitely notice if I put my ad on that.'"
You'll be happy to know that you can make an impact by switching to LED lightbulbs around your home. And even better news, a new U.S. law will make LED lightbulbs more efficient and ban incandescent and CFL bulbs from being sold, significantly reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere to help cool down the planet.
And if you're looking for a no-cost option, consider closing your blinds or curtains at night to keep light from spilling outside.
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