Earth Lounge Environmental Book Discussion Series: "The Darkness Manifesto"

Explore the curiosities and complexities of nature, environmentalism, and sustainability through fiction and nonfiction literature in the new Earth Lounge Environmental Book Discussion Series, held the last Wednesday of the month from August through November. Register for any or all of the discussions in the series:

• August 30: We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer
• September 27: New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
• October 25: The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms That Sustain Life by Johan Eklöf
• November 29: How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
  • Register here

In The Darkness Manifesto, 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 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 exacerbate chronic stress and depression. Streetlamps, floodlights, and the ever more pervasive and searingly bright LED lights are altering entire ecosystems, and scientists are only just beginning to understand the long-term effects. The Darkness Manifesto outlines simple steps that we can take to benefit ourselves and the planet.