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UKNA SCOTLAND The Scottish branch of the UK Noise Association |
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Welcome to |
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Achieving Change: Working toward a quieter, more humane society |
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Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D. (Lehman College, City University of New York) Key Note address: National Conference “Tackling Noise: Time for Action” (in conjunction with Napier University, Edinburgh 2003) |
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Starting with a Bang! The universe may have started with a bang and mankind may similarly end with a bang but it is the loudness in between the beginning and the end that Although modern technology has contributed significantly to this growth in noise, much of the noise that distresses people is caused by other people who believe it is their right to make noise but who have no understanding that with rights come responsibilities. Playing radios and televisions loudly, speaking with a loud voice on a cell phone, and cruising neighbourhoods with loud stereo systems, are not only examples of noise intrusions but also reflect a lack of respect for fellow human beings who have a right to a quieter ambient level. Living in close proximity, as so many people do today, requires entering into a social contract which acknowledges that we have to be concerned about our neighbors and they about us. We must learn to enjoy our radios, stereos, televisions, cell phones and all However, it isn't just individuals that may demonstrate this lack of respect for people's rights to quiet in their lives. Businesses and government agencies are frequent offenders. Businesses, desirous to design products to make life easier for the consumer, often create useful products with noise as an unnecessary by-product. Sometimes it is a matter of not realizing at first that a new product will emit offensive noises. Air conditioners and refrigerators were noisy when first introduced but demand for quieter appliances by customers yielded quieter units. Other times it is not caring to invest additional development money for a quieter product. For example, about twenty five years ago the New York City Transit Authority ordered noisier traction motors for their trains when quieter ones could have been purchased. The agency wasn't willing to spend extra research dollars to develop quieter traction motors and was willing to subject transit riders to additional noise in a subway system that was already noisier than it need be. Only after an outcry by concerned citizens for quieter traction motors did the Transit Authority demand of the companies that manufactured these motors that they design them to be quieter. Ironically, a longer-lasting motor turned out to be the by-product of the effort to design a quieter one. Then there are those businesses that use loud sounds and noise to promote their products. Sony's trademark "Disturb the Peace" to advertise their sound equipment underscores the recent trend of associating loud with excitement and pleasure. Other advertisements suggest disturbing your neighbors, e.g. MB QUART boasts "Performance They'll Hear a Mile Away;" "Shake Seats and Annoy Neighbors" is an advertisement by Hollywood Sound Labs. Sometimes, a technological advance, which also serves a larger social goal, clashes with people's rights to live in quieter environments. The recent increase in air travel has enabled people to experience first hand different cultures and different ways of life and, hopefully, has taught people to respect and be more tolerant of these differences. For this reason alone, the growth in aviation has been invaluable. Yet, with the expansion of air travel, airport-related noise has become a major problem worldwide. Whether it be London, Amsterdam, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida, citizens have formed groups to combat the increase in air traffic. It isn't just the noise emitted by the aircraft that intrudes on people's lives but all the noises related to the airport, including highway traffic and the frequent car alarms that are set off by low flying planes. Unfortunately, the clash between the right to enjoy the pleasures of foreign travel and the right to quiet has resulted in labeling those who oppose airport-related noises as unreasonable, rather than seeking a solution that serve would serve both constituencies fairly. |
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Role of Government In the 1970s the United States government was at the forefront of curbing noise. It was part of the larger environmental movement that was taking place in the United States and elsewhere. The Noise Control Act of 1972, aimed to protect citizens against the dangers of noise, was passed by Congress and the Office of Noise Control and Abatement (ONAC) under the aegis of the Environmental Protection Agency was charged with carrying out the Act's mandate. However, things changed in 1981 when ONAC was essentially stripped of its funding. There have been discussions as to why the United States Federal government relinquished its role in noise. Some have argued that the then President Ronald Reagan believed noise pollution should be handled at the state level. One could argue that former President Bush, as well, as the present Bush might still take this view and also argue that these two men, like former President Reagan, are less concerned in protecting the environment. However, former President Bill Clinton made no effort to refund the office. More likely the office stays essentially closed because all the former Presidents, as well as President George W. Bush, are more beholden to businesses and noise curtailment is viewed as intruding in business interests. It is easier and cheaper for business and industry to operate without the federal government demanding that they pay heed to lower decibel levels. This does not mean that they cannot do something about noise. They have to some extent but at a much slower, deliberate pace. As a result the FAA too often ignores the claim by those who live beneath the noises of the planes that their lives are being ruined. This claim is largely dismissed because this agency believes that those who moved near airports knew in advance that they would be exposed to airport-related noises; despite the fact that many airports have intruded into neighbourhoods, expanding way beyond their original boundaries. Citizens are asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to recognize the overwhelming literature linking noise to health and direct their efforts to establishing routes or schedules that will meet demand but not intrude harshly on people living under flight paths. They are asking the FAA to stop relying on a metric to assess noise impacts that underestimates the number of people affected. Furthermore the FAA relies on an Integrated Noise Model to determine the amount of noise exposure for all communities but this model fails to include those factors that are characteristic of particular airports; thus underestimate the amount of exposure. Yet, despite numerous requests from citizens to re-examine its methodology of assessing noise impacts on residents, the FAA continues to ignore these reasonable requests. In Queens, New York the name for a group involved in limiting airport-related noise is Sane Aviation for Everyone. I think this name speaks to the reasonableness of these requests. Yet, reason has not prevailed and there have been many acrimonious sessions between the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, and residents living near airports. Cities around the world, e.g. London, Amsterdam, are witnessing similar battles when expansion of airports deprives residents of quiet in their homes and backyards. Loud Sounds Harmful to Hearing Before we can enlist people in our quest to lessen the din and promote Noise is harmful to our ears, our hearts, and our heads. That loud sounds are harmful to our hearing is well-founded in the research. A single loud sound such as a gun shot ringing out close to the ear can impair hearing but more likely many more people suffer hearing loss over time due to overexposure to loud sounds. Some rock musicians have poorer hearing because of their continuous exposure to loud music but so do citizens who live in very loud, noisy cities. The League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City collected hearing data on over 27,000 New Yorkers over nineteen years and found that a higher percentage of individuals failed its hearing test with each passing year. This hearing loss cannot be attributed to aging but more likely the result of living in a city that has grown noisier with each passing year. Hearing loss has been identified as one of the leading disabilities in the United States. Unwanted Sounds Hazardous to Health Whereas the ear is the organ of the body that directly responds to sound and can be harmed when sounds become too loud, the rest of the body is also responsive to sounds. Noise is defined as unwanted, uncontrollable sounds whether loud or soft. Thus, annoying, intrusive and disturbing sounds can affect the body. Noise acts as a stressor and like other stressors can arouse the body through a complex set of physiological changes that can include a rise in blood pressure, a change in heart rhythm, excessive secretion of certain hormones or a slowing down of digestive system. Should the noise continue unabated, and the stress reaction continue, then changes can occur in the cardiovascular, circulatory or digestive systems that result in bodily ailments. Indirectly noise can adversely affect many of the body's organs. Continuous exposure to overhead jets, loud nearby traffic, or your neighbor's loud music or heavy walking on uncovered floors can create a great deal of stress, especially when pleas to government agencies, building managers, and neighbors "fall on deaf ears" figuratively. When requests to lessen the noises are unheeded or dismissed then "learned helplessness" sets in. Learned helplessness is a feeling that one lacks lack control over one's life and this helplessness serves to exacerbate the stress brought about by the noise. There is a great deal of evidence that noise has become a problem worldwide, disturbing millions of people and making them prone to a wide array of physiological disorders (Passchier-Vermeer & Passchier, 2000). Although there is wide acceptance that noise may pose a health risk, scientists are quick to point out that additional evidence is needed to strengthen the noise-health link. Yet, noise need not lead to discernible physical ailments before it is deemed physically harmful. Good health is not merely the absence of symptoms. It also implies a good quality of life. If one is forced to listen to a neighbor's dog barking night after night or the blasting of music from a nearby bar, then that individual may not yet be ailing physically but most assuredly that person's quality of life has been diminished. If we were to factor in living a decent quality of life in our definition of health, then the deleterious effects of noise to our well-being would be more firmly established. Noise – Harmful to Mental Well-Being Noise also takes a toll on one's mental health. Noise comprised about 85% of the complaints to the New York City Police Hotline two years ago; one in three people in the United Kingdom stated that "environmental noise spoiled Studies have reported aircraft noise linked to increases in perceived psychological disturbances such as "depression and nervousness." With so many people complaining about noise, one could state without seeking further data that noise disturbs and bothers people. Such disturbance is sufficient to conclude that noise adversely affects mental health. Furthermore, stories in the American and British press linking noise to violence provides additional support that noise affects mental stability. Noise – Damaging to Children's Well-Being Research has linked noise to delays in cognitive and language development and poorer scholastic performance in young children (Bronzaft, 2002). Too many children live in homes that are far too noisy, are exposed to outside traffic and aircraft noise at home, and frequently attend schools that are located near highways, railroads and airports without adequate noise abatement materials to protect them from these external noise sources. Schools themselves often lack appropriate design to maximize learning. Furthermore, children living in homes where parents are intruded upon by disruptive noises may find their parents are less patient with them. Noisy homes do not foster good parent-children relationships. Noise – It is Everywhere Noise is a ubiquitous problem worldwide and it is not restricted to large, urban cities. Small towns report that infrequently used nearby airports are expanding to accommodate jet planes. Suburban areas have been invaded by leaf blowers. Jet skis now travel across waterways located near quiet beach areas. The noisy invader may strike any community. Imagine the surprise of a group of residents living in a relatively quiet area of the state of Montana when they woke up one morning to the sounds of a newly opened dirt bike raceway. Loud – A Matter of Youth, Joy and Progress Whatever the reason for linking loudness to youth and pleasure, this relationship has spread throughout our modern cultures. Music has to be loud to be enjoyed; movies have to be loud to be exciting. Those who don't understand this are called old and out of step! Those who are upset by ads that associate loud music with acts of violence are similarly labeled out of step. Some audio systems use words of violence to promote their products, e.g., "It's Not My Remote, It's My Detonator" and "Lethal Assault." An attorney for a major publishing house of magazines that carries ads for audio equipment pointed out that advertisements are not taken literally and that he did not believe these ads encouraged people to use their stereo music to disturb, annoy or assault their neighbors. Tell it to the residents who have to cope with the insufferable sounds that come out of these stereos night after night as the people playing them go up and down quiet streets. Tell it to the neighbors who are verbally attacked when they report youngsters who have disturbed them with their "boom cars." On a larger scale, noise has been the by-product of technological advances and poorer, third-world countries may be willing to accept this by-product in their desire to improve their standard of living. In fact, they might view noise as an indicator of progress. Undoubtedly, once these countries move forward economically and politically, they too will join in the battle to lessen the din. For now, these nations may resent our focus on noise abatement, as I was reminded by a representative of one of these countries at a conference I attended. Noise Linked to Lack of Civil Behavior Annette Zaner (1991) notes that noise has been an environmental pollutant for thousands of years but acknowledges that the "growth and utilization of noise-producing and noise-related technology in modern civilization are proceeding at such an accelerated rate." However, there is another factor that has contributed significantly to the ‘noise explosion," namely the growth in uncivil behavior. Loud-playing stereos and televisions, children stomping over their neighbors' heads, music-blasting vehicles, loud talking on cell phones, and students hosting late night parties in quiet neighbourhoods are just some examples of a lack of civility and a failure to abide by the social contract that must exist if people are to live side by side in harmony. Beyond Noise: The Advantages of Quiet Quiet is good for the body, the mind and the spirit. Quiet is often associated with peace in the sense that peace connotes calmness and serenity. People who cherish some peace and quiet in their lives are generally people who value the "peace" within themselves; individuals who are in touch with their inner beings. It is this state of harmony that supports treating others more respectfully and understanding and recognizing that they too are entitled to quiet in their lives. Mutual respect and understanding promote better relationships on a personal level but should do so on a broader scale amongst people of different religions, ethnic backgrounds, or nationalities. Is it that much of a leap to assume that respecting your next door neighbor is no different from respecting the person you pass on the street or the person who lives across the ocean? A lack of respect at the simplest level, when we allow our sounds to disturb others, forebodes instances of a lack of respect in other social interactions. The person who slams her door each time she enters and leaves her apartment may very well be the same person who pushes ahead of another in line at the movie theater. Discourtesy in one area generalizes too readily to other areas and in the long run may result in chaos. Quiet promotes harmony; noise leads to chaos. Making Noise – Is It a Right? Many people believe they have the right to listen to music late at night as loudly as desire, to use a cell phone whenever and wherever using a loud voice, to hold late-night noisy parties while living in congested apartment dwellings, to scream and shout across a dinner table in a crowded restaurant, etc. etc. etc. In fact, Americans often speak of their Bill of Rights – the right to speak freely, the right to bear arms, the right to privacy. Although making loud sounds was not included in this Bill of Rights, people speak of this right as if it were. People believe they have a right to impose their sounds on another. But, do we have a right to impose our sounds on others or does this right stop at the ears of the other? A Bill of Responsibilities People have rights but these are not boundless especially when these rights step on the rights of another. Democratic societies strongly advocate citizen rights but democracies cannot flourish if their citizens flounder in their responsibilities. Citizen responsibilities entail more than paying taxes and voting. Included in the list of responsibilities is respect for fellow citizens and an understanding of their rights and the need to protect their rights. Understanding the rights of others and protecting their rights is the responsibility of all people who value their own rights. Rights also imply limits and it is in the exercising of these limits that we are demonstrating responsibilities to a greater cause beyond our own desires and needs – the cause of building a more humane, gentler society. Respect and Responsibility Need to Be Taught Respect must be inculcated from the time we are children and it is generally the parents who have this obligation. The best way to teach is by example. Children should not see nor hear their parents "revving" their motors at six in the morning nor mowing the lawn at seven Sunday morning nor blasting their televisions and stereos loudly. Children are most observant and quickly learn to mimic parental behavior. Parents should also ask children to refrain from stomping on the floor when they are old enough to understand that such sounds disturb others. Children should not be allowed to play basketball over the heads of their downstairs neighbors. Parents must make an effort to keep their sounds down and to teach their children to do likewise. When keeping sounds down is associated with respecting others then respect in general will grow. Children must also learn that with rights which they will acquire as they grow older will come responsibilities as well. Noise: A Violation of Responsibility Yet too many young people are not taught respect or responsibility and as a result they grow up imposing their loud music and their loud voices on others. People who complain about neighbor noises, especially from boom cars, often comment on the noise offenders' lack of consideration. Noise is often seen by these people as a violation of their rights, an act of hostility, or an act of violence and the noisemaker is seen as a culprit. Even the most considerate people have accidentally or unwittingly inflicted noise on others, e.g. door slamming when hands are full, a party that becomes noisier than intended. Yet, if reminded or cautioned about the inconsiderate act, a responsible person apologizes and notes that he or she will be more mindful in the future. Some people may not be aware that noise can harm others but when this is pointed out, requests to quiet down are acknowledged. Such people should be responsive to education pointing out the hazards of noise and ways to prevent noise. However, the individuals who are identified as culprits continually inflict noise on others, appear to disregard the pain and suffering of those inflicted by their noises, and even seem to gain pleasure from the discomfort of others. Most likely, they behave badly in other social situations as well. Educating them to the dangers of noise will probably not work nor will governmental warnings. In such cases, penalties of a stronger nature may have to be imposed, e.g. confiscation of cars, fines. In several court New York City court cases, judges have warned noise offenders that unless the noise stops, they will be serving time in jail. It is only hoped that after several fines, even these people will learn the importance of acting responsibly in society. Citizen Groups Unite Against Noise Pollution Recently citizen groups have demanded that greater attention be directed toward noise pollution and their efforts in part produced the European Union's Green Paper, Future Noise Policy, which has asked its constituent members to address noise exposure and find ways to deal with this problem. In the United States, legislation has been introduced by congress people to refund the Office of Noise Abatement and Control but has not yet garnered enough support for passage. However, several American Congressman have gotten funding to examine impacts of aviation noise on nearby residents; a not too easy feat. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has announced an initiative that will look more closely at the City's noises and in London, the Mayor published a Draft London Ambient Noise Strategy in July 2002. In 1996 the League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City established a day in April as International Noise Awareness Day (INAD). The first INAD focused on several local events in New York City including a proclamation by the Mayor at City Hall, hearing tests given from vans located at several sites in the city, and the distribution of ear plugs and literature on noise impacts at railroad terminals. Today INAD is celebrated throughout the United States and around the globe. The League website, www.lhh.org/noise provides information that can be easily printed by all its partners worldwide. The internet has enabled individuals concerned about the growing problem of noise pollution to work together and INAD has served to strengthen this working relationship. Before the Bang at the End, Hoping for Some Quiet in Between In worrying about the noise between the big bang and possibly the ultimate one, I have asked myself several questions. · Can human beings learn to treat their fellow human beings with dignity? · Will businesses design quieter products even if initially costlier or ask for advertisements that elevate people rather than debase them? · Will government representatives remember that they serve citizens not big business and industry? I frequently entertain the possibility that the answer to these questions is "No." However, if I yield to this possibility, then I would have to quit my anti-noise activities. I also believe that groups such as the League for the Hard of Hearing, the Noise Network, the United Kingdom Noise Association, Noise Watch and the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse will succeed in enlisting more anti-noise activists in spreading the word about the dangers of noise and the benefits of quiet. Abraham Lincoln once told us that you can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but not all the people all the time. I believe that we can educate enough people to do the right thing when it comes to noise so that we can lessen the din, even if the world may not become as quiet as some of us might want it to be. More importantly, the resulting quieter society will also signify a more humane one. END © UKNA 2007 |