The Preservation of Darkness in Paul Bogard “Let There Be Dark”

Paul Bogard's article, “Let There Be Dark," discusses the major issues caused by an excess of artificial light and how it can be solved. The preservation of darkness is emphasized to remind readers the main focus of his article. Paul Bogard utilizes techniques such as statistics, emotions, and interpretations to convince readers that he is being reasonably practical about his concerns.

The use of evidence strongly supports his claims, persuading the reader that he is not being biased. For instance, when proving that artificial light is not healthy, he states, "sleep disorders have been linked to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression, and recent research suggests one main cause of 'short sleep' is 'long light."" Including this statistic made his argument stronger by proving that he is talking based off of facts, not opinions. His reasoning is not established by his own thoughts, but by concrete facts he has gathered, showing how great of an impact “long light” has on your ability to sleep.

In addition, after claiming that the amount of light in this world has sharply increased, he proves this by affirming, "computer images of the United States at night, based on NASA photographs, shows that what was a dark country as recently as the 1950s is now nearly covered with a blanket of light." He reiterates the sudden increase in light pollution to display the gravity of the controversy. Using his data, he shows the accuracy of his allegation and the tremendous evolution taking place in the world. Bogard reassures the readers of the authenticity and legitimacy of his statement by including multiple statistics.

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The emotional remarks he expresses are included to win readers over by making them feel guilty or sympathetic towards his objective. To exemplify, when emphasizing how too much artificial light can affect not only your body but the environment as well, he compares the ecological light to a bulldozer of the night, “wrecking habitat and disrupting ecosystem several billion year in making." He appeals to our emotions by trying to convince readers that something as common as light can destroy something so precious and important in an instant.

The fact that people have control over whether or not the whole ecosystem is destructed pressures the readers into agreeing with his stance more. Furthermore, when identifying the essence of darkness for inspiration, he adverts, "Who knows what this vision of the night sky might inspire in each of us in our children or grandchildren?" Not only does he mention that the spark of inspiration will disappear when the darkness does, but he also implies that future generations won't be able to witness the beauty of darkness and the features that come with it.

This will most likely bring the audience into sympathy for taking away something future generations would have been able to have and allow them realize that the future would have a lack of achievements due to a lack of inspiration. The writer's main purpose for these commentaries is to convince readers that they are indirectly taking part in this "crime," leading to negative outcomes.

Built upon his ideas and findings, he explains his thoughts on how and why they strengthen his claim. To illustrate, when demonstrating his solution to the dramatic increase in light usage, he further reasons, "Though primarily designed to save energy, such reductions in light will also go far in addressing light pollution." Not only does this convince the readers that his idea is efficient, but it forms an idea of global improvement. Restoring darkness through people's cooperation gives people an optimistic attitude to the solution.

Moreover, when insisting that we must fix the problem, he concludes, "But we will never truly address the problem of light pollution until we become aware of the irreplaceable value and beauty of the darkness we are losing." He insists on educating the people of the dangers of artificial light and the grave consequences it will bring, claiming that without knowing it, we will never attempt to save the earth from the extinction of darkness. The reason he wrote this article was to bring awareness to this problem, recognizing the ignorance that must be repaired.

Paul Bogard skillfully applies different methods of persuasion in his article, "Let There Be Dark," such as using statistics, emotions, and interpretations to prove that his claim holds true in any circumstance. His persistence emphasizes the seriousness of the dilemma and how big of an impact it can have on the world, pressuring readers into believing all the accusations made in this article. Obtaining a stronghold on the topic allowed his audience to reflect on his claim and determine their stance on whether they agree or disagree with the author.

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