A Dream Cast in Dormancy (Yet Even the Shadows Glow in the Dark)

The darkness is the key, but humans locked it up. Beigan Island, 50 miles west from the median line of the Taiwan Strait August 19, 2023 My exploration begins with the issue of light pollution and dark-sky conservation in Taiwan, focusing on the Matsu Islands. These islands have become home to a surreal phenomenon, wherein each night the sky glows an unnatural neon green as far as the eye can see. The Matsu Islands are home to several endangered and bioluminescent species that depend on darkness for survival, now suffering from light pollution caused by unregulated Chinese squid fishing. Historically caught between the high-handed force of China and the partisan biddings of Taiwan, local efforts to counteract this luminous invasion have not made much headway. My work aims to look at the causes of this issue, its ecological and socioeconomic effects, and the eerie climate surrounding peacebuilding conversation within the first two decades of the twenty-first century.