Plug my ears please!
Greetings urban dwellers! After gaining a deeper understanding on light pollution as a form of urban pollution, we shall move on and investigate another contemporary issue: noise pollution
.
Urban noises from loud sources (https://www.worldbeatcenter.org/noise-pollution/)
For most urban inhabitants like you and I, the sirens from vehicles, drilling in construction areas and even the roaring of airplanes flying over us, are extremely common. In the urban, human traffic is densely congregated and the sounds produced from these activities are amplified by the sheer population residing in an area. Over time, the noise produced can have effects on human health and the environment altogether. Within the sonic landscape, urban areas are passively producing an average of 60 decibels of noise. With the inclusion of activities like traffic and industrial activities, the decibels can rise to 85 and sirens from vehicles can cause an astounding 120 decibels, which is hitting the human pain threshold.
If I am to describe noise pollution, I would associate it with light pollution. As both forms of pollution come from human activities and have similar effects, they are akin to the sides of a same coin. Unlike other forms of pollution that have been discussed, light and noise pollution are not recognised to be immediate source of pollution that demands immediate rectification. This is because it does not cause an immediate damage to the environment/human body, but rather takes on an escalating influence.
In the next few posts, I will elucidate more about noise pollution, so bear with me, it is going to be a LOUD experience!
You Live in Urban, You Fight for Urban
Your metropollution warrior,
BriChua
References:
Bhatia, R. (2014, May 20). Noise pollution: Managing the challenge of Urban sounds. Earth Journalism Network. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://earthjournalism.net/resources/noise-pollution-managing-the-challenge-of-urban-sounds#:~:text=Still%2C%20noise%20is%20a%20leading,Noise%20disturbs%20sleep.
Wagner, K. (2019, July 5). City noise might be making you sick. The Atlantic. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/city-noise-might-be-making-you-sick/553385/
Hey metropolitan warrior!
Thanks for sharing about noise pollution, a topic that is commonly swept under the carpet (or muffled out). Like your title suggests, we might become desensitised to noise pollution because we can easily block it out with our earphones. I also find it fascinating that urban environments can passively produce such a high decibel of noise.
Best,
Jael
Hi Jael,
Indeed! I was surprised also at the amount of noise that is released on a daily basis and us who have been so acclimated to the everyday noises, I doubt many of us even realise it!