Adorned with neon signs, unregulated floodlights and illuminated skyscrapers that remain brightly lit long after dark – Hong Kong is among the world’s brightest cities. Light pollution is one of the most pervasive and fastest-growing environmental concerns, causing challenges and unjustness for the coexistence of humans and nature under the nighttime glow of artificial light.
To light or not to light up the sky?
Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights (SoL) is a well-known nightly spectacle, with millions watching in awe as it casts glowing auras over the Victoria harbour, transforming into a mesmerising display of light and colours on 44 city landmarks since 2004.
Light is an integral element of place-making, and the essence of SoL reflects Hong Kong’s dynamic blend of ‘east meets west‘, symbolising solidarity and community building. The show, however, has been controversial. Some locals believe SoL is a luxury that ‘Hong Kong can live without’, as the adverse effects of light pollution and energy wastage exceed the existing economic benefits. The 10-minute show caused protest against the city’s pollution, impacting the nocturnal activities of amphibians and human bodily functions. Since Hong Kong’s tourism accounts for 9% of the GDP, SoL has continuously been promoted to stimulate visitors. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether the show is the sole reason for attracting 1.5 million tourists annually.
The tourism industry has brought about both economic growth and ecological destruction as governments and businesses prioritise financial gain over the well-being of our ecologies. Power dynamics shape policies and actions, frequently revealing an imbalance of power with marginalised groups and the natural environment bearing the consequences. Our collective imagination envisions cities as vibrant hubs, but is light as harmless as it seems?
Inequality in the spotlight
Artificial light affects human circadian rhythms, preventing us from differentiating the natural cycles of light and dark. This can contribute to the exacerbation of socially disparate patterns within Hong Kong.
The everyday urban environment continuously transforms our lives through the agency of infrastructure. Lower-income neighbourhoods are often characterised by an abundance of video billboards and neon lights, resulting in unequal vulnerability to light pollution amidst different socio-economic groups, which can worsen with luminosity and geographic extent. In the commercial heart of Mong Kok – the ‘hardest hit’ by light pollution, external lighting from LED displays blinds thousands of residents living across it. By obfuscating the line between day and night, biological clocks are disrupted, deteriorating human health (Blume, Garbazza and Spitschan, 2019)
While the upper socioeconomic classes rise into gated communities, evading urban chaos and light pollution, the marginalised are unjustly exposed to withstand the money-grubbing commercial lighting. Due to the absence of regulations for more protective lighting, the government is prioritising economic growth over social justice. The political dynamics in neglecting living disparities and injustices highlight concerns for excessive light and the need for political power to advocate for more equitable and sustainable solutions. Unless artificial light is governed, it will continue threatening us and our biodiversity, particularly the ‘unseen’ ecosystem of nocturnal creatures.
The starry night is a compass for nocturnal animals
‘Ecological light pollution‘ is when anthropogenic light affects organisms, destabilising animals’ ecological balance and interactions. Animals rely on natural light and dark to maintain life processes, and interfering with the circadian rhythms of nocturnal species affects their internal and external processes (Rich and Longcore, 2006).
Hong Kong Wetland Park is home to more than 238 bird species. Despite its remote location, the park is still 120 times brighter than a standard night sky. Being a world-famous staging post for migratory birds, the light nuisance threatens more than 120,000 birds during their annual migration to the city. As they navigate by moonlight and starlight, artificial light causes them to deviate towards the perilous cityscape, leading to improper migration schedules. The Hong Kong Entomological Society chairman expressed concern that brightness also affects the breeding of 6,784 insect species. Since they rely on light signals for attracting mates, their biological systems are compromised by brighter lighting. In the political economy of urbanisation, light pollution must be minimised in ecosystems to maintain a natural rhythm of darkness.
Conclusion
Light pollution disrupts the natural cycles and ecology of both humans and non-human nature, making us consider the broader implications for urban political ecology and environmental governance. The pursuit of power, progress, and prosperity is not about shining the brightest; instead, it is important to balance the needs of diverse socioeconomic groups and consider multiple perspectives when framing future policies. To address the issue of artificial illumination, Hong Kong’s infrastructure should not support excessive light usage but collectively strive to be a sustainable “Pearl of the Orient” – one that minimises pollution and waste.
Bibliography:
Amorim, C. (2013). Illumining Hong Kong’s light pollution. [online] Basal Science Clarified. Available at: https://bsclarified.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/illumining-hong-kongs-light-pollution/.
Artists in Motion Video (2018). A Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong 2018. [online] Youtube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_CFcELJwek&ab_channel=ArtistsinMotionVideo.
Blume, C., Garbazza, C. and Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie : Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin = Somnology : sleep research and sleep medicine, 23(3), pp.147–156.
Cheung, C. (2013). Light pollution in Hong Kong ‘worst on the planet’. [online] South China Morning Post. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1194996/light-pollution-hong-kong-worst-planet.
China Daily (2014). Top 10 most attractive Chinese cities at night. [online] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn. Available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/travel/2014-08/19/content_18444583_10.htm.
GovHK (2017). A Symphony of Lights – Details of the Show. [online] http://www.tourism.gov.hk. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.hk/symphony/english/details/details.html.
GovHK (2020). Hong Kong: The facts – Tourism. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/tourism.pdf.
HKWP (2022). Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP) – Wetland Link International. [online] Wetland Link International. Available at: https://wli.wwt.org.uk/?member=hong-kong-wetland-park-hkwp#:~:text=Key%20species%2Ffeatures&text=The%20Ramsar%20Site%20supports%20over.
Ho, K. (2022). Hong Kong urged to legislate against light pollution as green group calls voluntary charter a ‘toothless tiger’. [online] Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Available at: https://hongkongfp.com/2022/11/28/hong-kong-urged-to-legislate-against-light-pollution-as-green-group-calls-voluntary-charter-a-toothless-tiger/.
Longcore, T. and Rich, C. (2004). Ecological light pollution. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2(4), pp.191–198.
Ng, K.L., Lau, S.Y., Yat, C.C. and Tsang, H.T. (2014). Light pollution in Hong Kong. City University of Hong Kong, pp.1–33.
Pang, B. (2017). Face Off: should A Symphony of Lights at Victoria Harbour be scrapped? [online] Young Post. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3055944/face-should-symphony-lights-victoria-harbour-be.
Rich, C. and Longcore, T. (2013). Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting. Island Press.
Tähkämö, L., Partonen, T. and Pesonen, A.-K. (2019). Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiology international, 36(2), pp.151–170.
Wrong, H. (2016). Hong Kong’s most dreaded creepy-crawlies. [online] Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Available at: https://hongkongfp.com/2016/08/07/hong-kongs-most-dreaded-insects/.
Urban Political Ecology 