Sure, the Adirondacks' peaks and ponds and other daylight scenery attract folks to this place. But the park's nighttime ceiling, in some spots a dizzying display of the celestial, is also a big draw.
Darkness is, after all, a natural resource, an increasingly exotic commodity as we alter the landscape to suit our needs. Think megawatt lamps to line highways, airport runways and big-box store parking lots; twinkling cell towers; blinking marquees. This light pollution, as it's known, erases constellations and dilutes the atmosphere into a soupy haze, but it also affects animals' reproduction, feeding and migration patterns. Imagine a peeper living in a swamp beside the blinding glare of the Federal Correctional Institution in Ray Brook—as clueless of the hour as someone at a Vegas casino.
According to the International Dark-Sky Association (www.darksky.org), humans also face repercussions. The nonprofit organization that works to "protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies" states that "exposure to artificial light at night reduces the human body's production of melatonin, the hormone that tells the body's organs and systems that it is dark. Reduced levels of melatonin promote growth of breast tumors in women and may similarly affect other cancers, including prostate cancer."
Nothing within the Blue Line competes, wattage-wise, with a stretch like New York's Broadway or vibrant metropolises Tokyo or Los Angeles. But many corners of our six million acres are illuminated by prisons, recreational facilities and village streetlights. Ever driven through Wilmington during the holidays or seen Lake George on a summer night?
The good news? Of all the pollutants, light seems to be the easiest to fix. Porch bulbs can be tucked into ceilings, streetlamps can be focused downward. Or switches can simply be turned off. Last year, to recognize the need for climate change in a positive direction, billions of people in more than 87 countries did just that. Earth Hour (www.earthhour.org) participants spent 60 minutes in the dark—even the Golden Gate Bridge, the Great Pyramids of Giza, Big Ben, Sydney's Opera House and St. Peter's Basilica shut off the lights. And it'll happen again on March 27, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. —Annie Stoltie
