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> Electric lights also have a grim impact on the local ecosystem. During a summer night, one light kills roughly 250 insects; by comparison, gas is harmless. W
by TazeTSchnitzel 3y ago
> Electric lights also have a grim impact on the local ecosystem. During a summer night, one light kills roughly 250 insects; by comparison, gas is harmless.
Wait, what? Do gas lamps somehow not affect insects?
- Spivak 3y agoThey don't attract insects. Couldn't tell you why but I've actually exploited this for throwing outdoor parties at night. Those floodlights will be swarming with bugs but doting the place with kerosene lanterns they couldn't be less interested.
- userbinator 3y agoThe CO2 concentrations around them probably causes insects to stay away.
- Someone 3y ago> The CO2 concentrations around them probably causes insects to stay away. Which insects would that be? I thought, if anything, CO2 attracts at least some insects (but, reading https://askentomologists.com/2020/08/25/email-question-are-fireflies-attracted-to-co2/ https://askentomologists.com/2020/08/25/email-question-are-f... only in combination with other stimuli)
- londons_explore 3y agoGas lamps are way dimmer. Also, bugs have probably evolved not to go near the glowing embers of fires.
- closewith 3y agoAnyone who's ever lit a fire in a forest or wildland can attest this isn't true. Thousands of insects will fly directly into a fire at night.
- niemandhier 3y agoGaslamps work by converting the infrared light into visible light via gas mantle made from cerium or thorium oxides. The resulting spectrum is mostly in the visible wavel lengths and has nothing in common with the spectrum you get when burning things. So no evolutionary adaption to this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_mantle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_mantle