People associate the Christmas holiday season with gifts and pretty decorations. Yet we should think twice before we admire the colourful Christmas lights.
All those seasonal lights that bedeck buildings across the city add a great deal to light pollution. Such showy displays are a side effect of economic and industrial prosperity. But they don't come without a price.
Commercial lights obscure the stars in the night sky and disrupt local ecosystems. They can also cause great discomfort and adverse health effects to city dwellers.
The government should look into the problem of light pollution and take necessary steps to ensure that commercial ventures do not go overboard with their lighting. We need to impose stricter rules to limit the level of light pollution. We don't need eye-catching displays to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.
Ma Sakina Cassin, Pooi To Middle School
From the Editor