Noise a Modern Nuisance..

" One of life's great stressors. "
-- Makis Tsapogas , adviser to the World Health Organization.

" America's most pervasive pollutant "
-- The Boston Sunday Globe, U.S.A.

" The worst pollution of our time..
--Daily Express, London, England.

You can't see , smell , taste or touch it....

NOISE, the bane of modern urban life, now pollutes the countryside..

One American naturalist who spent some 16 years recording sounds
of nature has found his task increasingly difficult.

In 1984 he studied 21 sites in the state of Washington, U.S.A.,
that were noise free for 15 minutes or more.
Five years later , only three remain.

For many of the world's inhabitants, finding three noise- free places is a challenge.
In Japan, a nationwide report for 1991 stated that noise provoked more complaints then any other form of pollution.

Indeed, The Times of London aptly describeds noise as " the greatest scourge of contemporary life. "

From the irritatingly persistent bark of a dog to the blasting of a neighbor's stereo or the insistent blare of a car burglar -alarm or radio,
noise has become the norm.

Yet noise pollution is not new. It has a long history.

Not a New Problem..

To prevent traffic congestion, Julius Caesar banned wheeled traffic from the center of Rome during the day,
Sadly for him and his fellow Romans,
the decree created intense noise pollution at night,
" with wood or iron-shod cartwheels rumbling over the stone paveing blocks."
( The City In History, by Lewis Mumford )

More then a century later, the poet Juvenal complained that noise condemned Romans to everlasting insomnia.
By the 16th century , England's capital , London had a bustling metropolis. "

The first thing that must have struck most visitors,
" writes Alison Plowden, author of Elizabethan England ,
" was the din; clatter and hammering from a thousand workshops,
the rumble and squeak of cartwheels , the lowing of cattle being driven to market,
the raucous cries of street vendors proclaiming their wares."

The 18th century heralded the industrial revolution.

Now the effects of mechanical noise became apparent as factory workers suffered damage to their hearing.

But even city dwellers who did not live near factories complained of increasing disturbances.

Historian Thomas Carlyle took refuge in a " well-deafened room "
on the roof of his London house to avoid crowing cocks,
neighbors' pianos , and the nearby street traffic..

The Times reports: " It didn't work."

Why ?

" He was then maddened by a new battery of noises ,
including river hooters and railway whistles " !

A Widespread Modern Pollutant...

Today noise protesters focus on airports as airlines vigorously resist attempts to legislate against noise pollution.
When Manchestor airport in England imposed automatic fines each time the supersonic Concorde took off, were theses effective ?

No.

One Concorde captain admitted that the plane was noisy but that if it took off with a lighter load of fuel to reduce the noise level,
it would not reach Toronto or New York nonstop.

Preventing road traffic noise is equally problematic.
In Germany , for example, studies reveal that this type of pollution disturbs 64 percent of the population.

And it is a growing problem, reportedly one thousand times greater then before society became motorized.
A report from Greece states that " Athens is one of the noisiest cities in Europe and the din is so infernal it is damaging Athenians' health.

" Likewise, Japans' Environmental Agency notes a worsening trend in traffic noise attributes this to continued increases in automobile use.

At low speeds a car's engine is the main source of noise,
but above 40 miles per hour, tires make the most noise.

The greatest cause of noise complaints in Britain is domestic noise.

In 1996, Britain's Chartered Institute of Environmental Health noted a 10- percent rise in complaints about noisy neighbors.
A spokesman for the insititute commented: " It is hard to explain.

One factor may be that the pressure of people's working lives is leading them to make higher demands for peace and quiet at home. "
Two thirds of all the complaints lodged in Britain during 1994 involved late-night music and noisy car engines, alarms , and horns.

But what of the estimated 70 percent of noise- pollution victims who make no complaint for fear of reprisals ?
The problem is truely pervasive.

As a result of the widespread noise nuisances,
agencies that aim to protect the environment press for laws to curb noise pollution.

In the United States, for example,
some communities have adopted local regulations to limit the use of power landscaping tools.

In Britain, a Noise Act targets noisy neighbors and authorizes on-the-spot fines for violations between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Local authorities even have the power to confinscate offending stereo equipment.
Yet, noise persists.

With noise pollution truely a growing problem, you may well wonder what a victim can do.
But also , how can you avoid causeing noise ?

Will there ever be lasting peace and quiet ?
Read the following articule for answers.

NOISE.. What You Can Do About It..

At the end of a tiring day, you drop into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, you are dragged back to consciousness by the barking of neighborhood dog's.
You turn over in your bed and hope that the irritating noise will soon cease.

But it persists.
Over and over again, the dogs yap away.
Annoyed , frustrated by sleeplessness, and now wide awake,
you wonder how your neighbor can put up with such racket.

People vary greatly in the way they tolerate noise.
Airport employees who live near a runway are much less disturbed by aircraft noise than thoses whose work is unrelated to planes.

The housewife who uses an electric food processor tolerates it's noise far better than the person in the next room
who is trying to read a book or watch T.V.

What Is Noise Pollution ?

Countries vary in the way they define noise pollution.

In Mexico, noise is " any undesirable sound that is a nuisance or
harmfull to persons. "

New Zealand considers noise as excessive when it is " of such nature as to unreasonably interfere with the peace,
comfort and convenience of any person. "

Two famous scientists, Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist,
are closely associated with the measurement of sound.

Bels, or more commonly decibles ( one tenth of a bel ),
measure relative loudness , whereas hertz measure the pitch,
or frequency, of a sound.
When noise is measured, reports generally refer to the decibles of the sound.

* Noise levels are generally determined by useing a meter that measures sound in decibles.
Since the ear hears some frequencies more acutely then others,
the meter is designed to respond similarly *
But who determines how much disturbance a sound causes ?

You, the hearer !

" For nuisance - value , the human ear remains the best detector,
" notes The Independent of London.

The Effects Of Noise Pollution...

Since the ear is the " best detector " of noise,
it is obviously the organ most likely to suffer damage from it.

Damage to the sensitive nerve cells of your inner ear can cause
permanent loss of hearing.

People vary in their response to loud sounds, it is true.
But repeated exposure to sounds above 80 to 90 decibles can lead
to gradual loss of hearing.

Indeed , the higher the noise levels are,
the less time you can spend daily in that environment before your hearing suffers damage.

New Scientist magazine reports that many personal stereos sold in France have a maximum output of 113 decibles..
Citing one study , it noted that " rock music played at full blast for one hour on personal compact disc players..
surpassed 100 decibles most of the time and reached a peak of 127 decibles. "

Even more serious is the effect of noise produced during live concerts.
One investigator found people huddled near loud speaker stacks in an unconscious stupor.

" My vision was blurring, body cavities resonating with the bass beat,"
he relates , and the noise was painfull to my ears."

What effects can noise have on you ?

One authority states: Constant noise of moderate high levels cause stress, fatigue, and irritability. "

Being tormented by noise not only takes the joy out of life,
it can wear down a person physically and emotionally,"
notes Professor Gerald Fleischer, of he University of Giessen Germany.

When noise comes on top of other stressfull conditions,
according to Professor Makis Tsapogas,
it can provoke depression as well as organic diseases.

Prolonged exposure to noise can effect your personality.
When British government researchers asked victims of noise pollution how they felt about thoses responsible,
they spoke of hatred, revenge , even murder.

On the other hand,
noisemakers frequently become aggressive when they are targeted
of repeated complaints.

" Noise lessens people's altrusim and creates aggression and hostility,
" claims one antinoise campaigner..

Most have suffered from noise pollution recognize a gradual wearing down their resistence to the disturbance.

They echo the view of one woman whose noisy neighbors constantly
played loud music :

" When you are forced to listen to something you don't want to ,
it wears you down....

Even when the noise stopped , we were waiting for it to start again."

Is there any way, then, to deal with noise pollution ?

What you can do.....

With noise so all -pervasive ,
many people simple do not realize when they are causeing a disturbance to others.

If they new, some would no doubt cease the offending activity.
It is for this reason that a friendly approach to a noisy neighbor can work.

One person became angry over his neigbors' official complaints that he was noisy..
He said : " I would have assumed that they would have come round to see me face- to- face if they were upset with the noise."

A mother who organized a party for some young children expressed astonishment when confronted by an offical investigating a noise complaint.
" I wish thoses who made the complaints had knocked on my door and told me if they were unhappy, " She observed.

Little wonder , then, that one British environmental health officer was amazed to discover that 80 percent of those complaining about domestic noise..
have never asked their neighbor to quiet down.

People's reticence to speak with noisy neighbors indicates a lack of mutal respect.

" If I want to play my music, I can. It's my right !"
Is the response they expect and frequently get.

They are afraid that a kindly suggestion to adjust the volume might lead to confrontation as the noisy neighbor labels their complaint impertinent.

What a sad reflection this is on present day society !

How like the Bibilical statement that in theses " critical times hard to deal with , " people in general would be
" lovers of themselves, haughty, fierce,' and headstrong!
{ 2 Timothy 3:14 }

Much depends on the approach the victim takes.

Womens Weekly magazine offered the following scenario of how to resolve a tense situation after an aggressive complaint has backfired :

A warm and a very human, " Look , I'm sorry -- I blew my top...
but I get so tired when I can't sleep ' will probably be all it takes to conciliate [ defensive neighbors ]."

Perhaps they will gladly move their amplifing equipment away from the adjoining wall and lower the volume somewhat.

Realistically, it is worth your while to perserve good relations with your neighbors.
Some local authorities off a mediation service to reconcile opposing neighbors.

In view of the strong feelings offical complaints provoke,
calling in an enforcement agent should be viewed as
" an absolute last resort."

If you anticipate moveing to a new dwelling ,
you will find it is wise to check on possible sources of noise disturbances before you finalize contracts.

Real -estate brokers recommend that you visit your prospective home at difference times of the day to check on noise.

You should ask your neighbors for their observations.
Should you encounter problems after moveing into your new residence, try to resolve them in a neighborly way.
Litigation general encourages animosity.

But what if you live in a noisy neighborhood and have no means of moveing elsewhere ?

Are you condemned to suffer indefinitely ?
Not neccessarily..

How To Achieve Noise Protection..

Take a look at what you can do to insulate your home from outside noise.
Check the walls and floors to see weither there are any holes that can be filled in.

Note especially where electric sockets are located.
Are they secure ?

Noise frequently enters a home through doors and windows.
Affixing a second layer of glass to windows ( double gazing )
can help lessen the noise..

Even adding a thin foam strip to your doorframe will ensure that the door fits snugly.

Perhaps building a porch and installing a second door will protect your liveing areas from disturbing traffic noise.

Although traffic noise is growing at an alarming pace,
automakers are constantly developing new materials and methods to
lower sound levels inside your vehical.

Quieter tires on your auto also helps.

In many countries experiments with different types of road surfaces have produced such products as " whisper concrete ",
where some of the aggregate is left exposed and consequently there is only random tire contact.

Use of this surface reportedly reduces noise levels by as much as two decibles for light vehicles and one decible for heavy trucks.
Although this may not appear to be significant, a drop of three decibles on the average is equivalant to decreasing the noise from traffic by half !

Road builders now design highways that are hidden by barriers or banks of earth , thus effectively reducing noise.

Even where there is no room for this , especially designed fences, such as one in east London made of woven shoots and evergreen plants,
sheild residents near the highway from unwanted noise.

Masking distracting sounds with what is called white noise--
for example , static or rushing air- can be usefull in some environments, such as offices. *

* Just as white light is a mixture of all frequencies in the light spectrum,
white noise is sound that contains all the frequencies within the audible range , at approximately equal level of loudness. *

In Japan silent pianos have come on the market.
Instead of strikeing the string , the hammer activates an electronic circuit that produces the note in the earphones on the player.

Noise and You...

" Noise is the most widespread industrial hazard in Britain today " notes the Times , " and deafness it's common consequence.
" some occupational - health studies indicate that noise above 85
decibles can harm a fetus.

The baby's hearing is damaged ,
and the baby may have hormonal disturbances as well as birth defects.
Exposure to loud noise constricts blood vessels and decreases the flow of blood to your organs.

In turn your body reacts by producing hormones that raise blood pressure and increases your heartbeat,
sometimes leading to palpations or even angina.

When sleep disrupts your routine, other problems can occur.
Disturbed sleep can effect your daytime reactions.

Noise may alter the overall speed at which you work,
but it also can have a bearing on the number of errors you make.

How You Can Avoid Being A Noisy Neighbor....

*Consider your neighbors when you do something noisy,
and inform them beforehand.

* Cooperate when asked by a neighbor to reduce noise.

* Realize that your pleasure should not lead to your neighbors' distress.

* Remember that noise and vibration transmit easily through halls and floors.

* Place noisy household equipment on padding.

* Make sure that someone can be called to deal with false alarms from house and car.

* Don't carry out noisy work or use noisy appliances late at night.

* Don't play music at a level that annoys your neighbors.

* Don't leave dogs alone for long periods.

* Don't allow children to jump on the floor and thus disturb people below.

* Don't sound car horns, slam doors , or rev engines at night...

Protection At Work....

If you find noise at work a problem, consider wearing some kind of ear protection. *

* Legisiation in many countries requires that employers make sure that their workers wear adequate hearing protection. *

Earmuffs fit around your head like headphones and are generally effective where noise levels are high.
They have the advantage that you can still hear verbal messages and machine warning signals,
although they may make it difficult for you to pinpoint where the sound comes from.

Earplugs need to be the right size for you and are unsuitable if you have an ear disease or irritation of the ear canal.
Good machine maintenace can reduce vibrations.

Placeing the equipment on rubber mounts will serve to reduce noise pollution, as will the screening of noisy machinery.

Scientists have already spent long hours researching the production of what they call antinoise.

Basically, this involves useing another source of sound to produce vibrations that cancel out the effects of noise.

Of course, this involves extra equipment and more expense and does not really remove the source of the problem.

" Until people start regarding noise as sonic litter,"
observes U.S. News & World Report,
" anti-noise may be the only way to get a moment of silence."

Possibly so , but is silence the antidote to noise pollution ?

Is there really any prospect of peace and quiet for your home and your neighborhood ?

Will There Ever be PEACE AND QUIET ?

When asked what they looked for in a foreign vacation,
nearly three out of every four British tourists replied,
" Peace and quiet."

But with noise pollution a worldwide problem,
many believe that real peace and quiet is simply a pipe dream.
In spite of vigorous attempts to reduce noise pollution,
you may wonder if it is realistic to believe that there will ever
ever be total sucess.

What about others who do not share your concern ?

Obstacles To Overcome...

It is not easy to speak with people who are antagonistic,
much less win them over to your viewpoint.

When noisy groups of teenagers gathered outside the building where Ron lived,
he took the initiative to befriend them.
He learned their names.
He even helped repair one of their bicycles.
Since then , he has had no more trouble from them.

Take the case of Marjorie,
a single parent with a teenage daughter,
who lives in an apartment sandwiched between noisy neighbors.
The tenants upstairs have no carpet on their floor.
Consequently,
Marjorie finds that noise from the children roller-skateing across the floor,
bouncing a ball, or even jumping off the bed disturbs her.
Additionally , their mother wears high- heeled shoes..

Marjorie made a kindly approach to ask her neighbor to be more quiet,
but the language barrier between them brought frustrations.

The local municiple council has offered to send an interpreter to
help resolve the problem , so Marjorie waits for improvement.

Beneath her is a man who plays loud music between seven and eight
o'clock every morning, the bass beat thumping constantly..

Her tactfull approach to the man brought the reply that he needed
his music to ' put him in a good mood for his work.'
How does Marjorie cope ?

"I'm working on self - control and patience, "
she says..
" I have rearranged my program,
and I sit down to read in spite of the noise.
I will find that I quickly become absorbed in my book.
Then I don't notice the noise as much.

Heather, on the other hand,
lives in an apartment overlooking a nightclub,
which, after a rowdy night, closes about six in the morning.

Although she eventually complained to the local authorites,
little has been done to stop the disturbance.

An End to Noise ?

" Many people find total silence extremely disturbing and eerie,"
observes Dr. Ross Coles of Britian's Medical Research Council's Institute of Hearing Research.

The beautiful songs of birds, the gental breaking of waves on a sandy shore,
the excited cries of children-- theses and other sounds delight us.

-- But for thoses who find their comfort in this ---

Though we may presently long for some relief from noise ,
we are happy to be with wholesome companions who converse with us.
God has promised us peace and quiet for his faithfull servants.

In the Bible the psalmist declares:
" The meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace,"
{ Psalm 37:11 }

God's heavenly Kingdom government will soon intervene in human affairs.
{ Daniel 2:44 }

Then under the rulership of Christ Jesus , there will be an
" abundance of peace untill the moon is no more. "
{ Psalm 72:7 } { Isaiah 9:6,7 }

You can rest assure that divine intervention will achieve the peace and quiet that all of us desire ,
just as God's prophet Isaiah foretold:
" The work of the true righteousess must become peace ;
and the service of the true righteousness ,
quietness and security to time indefinite.

And my people shall dwell... in undisturbed resting-places. "
{ Isaiah 32: 17,18 }

Tinnitus A Noise to Live With ?

Beethoven, the German writer Goethe, and the Italian sculptor Michelangelo- all may have had it..

The ancient Egyptians may likewise have been aware of it,
apparently referring to the malady as " a bewitched ear ."
Today it is called tinnitus, and an estimated 15 percent of
the population of the Western world have it frequently or constantly.
About 5 percent out of 1,000 are afflicted severly.

Just what is this annoying malady ?
The world " tinnitus " comes from the Latin tinnire, " to tinkle, "and it is described as a " sound in the ears not caused by any external stimulation."

According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, it may be
" buzzing, roaring, whistleing, or hissing quality or may involve more complex sounds that vary over time.

It may be intermittent, continuous, or pulsatile. "
The volume of this noise can range from hardly audible to disturbingly loud.
And it is a sound that sufferers cannot turn off.
The unrelenting noise can thus trigger a host of side effects:
emotional distress , sleeping problems , pain , concentration difficulties,fatigue, communication problems and depression.

What Causes the Ailment ?

After the onset of tinnitus ,
a sufferer may nervously wonder what has gone wrong.
He may fear that he has a cerebral hemorrhage,
has suffered a mental disorder , or has a tumor.
Fortunately, tinnitus is rarely caused by a serious ailment.
Some have developed tinnitus after a head injury..
And Professor Alf Axelsson, of Goteborg, Sweden
and expert on the subject of tinnitus...
Said....
Some drugs, such as asprin in high doses,
can produce tinnitus as a temporary side effect..
By and large , though, tinnitus is the result of an ear disorder.
Professor Axelsson explained:
" The problem is usually in the part of the inner ear called the cochlea,
with it's 15,000 or so microscopic sensory hair cells.
If some of them have been damaged,
they can send and recieve an unbalanced stream of nerve cells.
This is perceived by the sufferer as noise."

The cause of such ear damage ?

According to Professor Axelsson,
one cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise.
Thoses who wear stereo headphones, for example,
often do themselves harm by playing their music at high-decibel levels.
Tinnitus is one possible result.

Of course,
it's good to keep in mind the comment made by Richard Hallam in his book Living With Tinnitus:
" The body is not a completely silent place and so a certain degree of " tinnitus' is normal.
Sound result from the mechanical movement of muscles, bones, blood and air....

It is supposed that in everyday conditions,
theses background noises are masked by the louder sounds in the environment-- they are simply not heard."

Reading this articule may have made you more aware of thoses background noises.
However, they are not a problem for most people.

How Is It Treated ?

What if you are seriously afflicted by this ailment ?
The first thing you should do is contact your doctor.
He will help you to find out if there is a treatable disorder behind your symptoms..

Sad to say, in most cases there is no cure for the noise.
But there are a number of things that can be done to help you live with it.

* Surgery : The brochure Tinnitus , published by The British Tinnitus Association , states:
" Sometimes tinnitus is caused by a disorder of the middle ear ,
and occasionally by an abnormality in blood vessels or muscles in
or near the ear..
In theses very rare cases there is a possibilty of completely eliminating tinnitus by surgery."

* Medication : If a sufferer has difficulty sleeping or suffers anxiety,tension , or depression ,
a doctor may prescribe sedatives or antidepressants to ease symptoms..

* Hearing Aids and " Maskers ":
If there is a slight hearing loss, a hearing aid can be of great help.
There is allso a device called a masker , which looks like a hearing aid.
It produces a background sound to mask the tinnitus sounds.
Sometimes , though , simply playing the radio or running a fan can have a similar effect..

* Other Treatments: Professor Axelsson said:
" Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may prove helpful for some patients.
This involves placeing the sufferer in a pressure chamber ,
where he is subjected to pure oxygen..

"This may enhance healing of the inner ear "
And since for some patients the symptoms of tinnitus seem worsen when they are tense or anxious,
some doctors have recommended various relaxation-training therapies *
* A Christian will want to be sure that such therapy does not violate Bible principles *

However, learning to relax and avoiding physical and mental stress as much as possible may be helpfull...

Liveing With the Ailment..

As yet, no real cure for tinnitus is on the horizon..
So tinnitus is a noise you may have to learn to live with.
Says the book Liveing With Tinnitus:
" I and my colleagues now strongly believe that the normal response to tinnitus is the gradual development of tolerance. "

Yes, you can teach your brain to ignore the sound,
to view it as something not worth paying attention to.
Do you live in a noisy neighborhood ?
Or do you run a fan or an air conditioner ?
At first, thoses noises may have irritated you,
but after awhile you simply ignored them.
In fact, you may even have learned to sleep with thoses noises !
Similarly, you can learn not to pay to much attention to your tinnitus.

Tinnitus is one of the many maladies that must be endured untill the arrival of God's comeing new world ,
in which " no resident will say : 'I am sick.'"
{ Isaiah 33:24 }

In the meantime , tinnitus can be a frustrating problem,
but it need not ruin or dominate your life.
Be assured , that this is a noise you can learn to live with !