Longfellow and McLean Clubs Lead a Community Conversation on Light Pollution

On a bitter January evening, students, scientists, and neighbors gathered to talk about something most of us have stopped noticing: the disappearing night sky.

On January 15, 2026, the McLean Envirothon Club and the Longfellow Middle School Eco Action Club hosted a community event at Longfellow Middle School centered on one of the fastest-growing — and least-discussed — environmental problems in the world: light pollution. 

A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight

More than 80% of people in the United States can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live. That alone should stop you cold.

Longfellow students explained how artificial light at night throws off the biological clocks of humans and wildlife alike — disrupting bird migration, confusing pollinators like moths and fireflies, and denying every species, nocturnal or not, the darkness they need. And the problem is accelerating: artificial sky brightness is growing by roughly 10% per year globally, fueled largely by the rapid spread of bright white LED lighting.

When Efficiency Has a Hidden Cost

LEDs were supposed to be a win. They use less energy — that part is true. But students pointed out an uncomfortable twist: because LED lighting is cheaper to run, we've simply installed more of it. The efficiency gains have been swallowed whole by growth in use.

Light pollution is something people my age have heard about for decades," said Kate Carey, who helped guide the student project. "But what we're missing is that with the advent of LED lighting, the problem has gotten exponentially worse and is causing significant damage to biodiversity."

Carey is a Virginia Master Naturalist who began volunteering at Longfellow in 2020, working alongside Dr. Yannos Misitzis with the school's Get2Green teams to study natural resources, reduce waste, and explore the park and stream near campus. She also coaches the McLean High School Envirothon team, which has grown dramatically. "Last year we barely fielded a team," she said. "This year we have eleven incredibly enthusiastic members."

Students Leading the Way

The two clubs divided and conquered. The Longfellow Eco Action students spent the fall building out the science — explaining what light pollution is, how it works, and why it matters. The McLean Envirothon students focused on further outreach and solutions, producing a one-page handout outlining the principles of dark-sky-friendly lighting:

• Useful — If a light isn't needed, turn it off.

• Targeted — Direct light downward, not into the sky or onto neighboring properties.

• Low Level — Use only as much brightness as the task requires.

• Controlled — Timers, motion detectors, and dimmers keep light from running unnecessarily.

• Warm-Colored — Warmer bulbs (lower Kelvin) cut down on blue light, which drives skyglow and disrupts wildlife.

Ben Aiken from the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance was, by all accounts, the most in-demand speaker of the night, fielding a steady stream of questions about county lighting regulations. But Carey was most proud of her students. The middle schoolers had spent a semester on the project and put in hours of rehearsal. The high schoolers handled advertising, thought through how to make the event feel welcoming to all ages, and — critically — baked dozens of cookies. A few even made the trip over to Longfellow's club meetings.

Envirothon President Brianna Wang summed it up well:

Seeing the Night Again

For anyone wanting to go deeper, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History currently has a major exhibit — Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky — that examines how artificial lighting has reshaped the nighttime environment and what communities can do to get it back. See the online exhibit here.

What stays with me from this student-led community conversation is the students' sense of possibility and the ease of their solution. Light pollution is rare among environmental issues: it's one we can do something about that costs no money and requires very little effort. Starting tonight, turn off a light you don't need. Swap out a harsh bulb. Point a fixture downward instead of up.

The night sky didn't disappear all at once. It can come back the same way — gradually, one light at a time.