NOISE/NOTES

Eoin A. King, NNI Editor, 

NNI is on Facebook and Twitter – we try to keep our readers informed with noise news from all across the globe by highlighting interesting research projects. Here is a roundup of some of the stories that have been making headlines. Follow @NNIEditor to stay up to date with all noise-related news.

Taking Aim at ‘Noise from Hell’

The New York Times reports on the activities of some French authorities, who are installing “sound radars” in seven cities in France to detect and identify vehicles making excessive noise. The initiative follows a mounting intolerance by the French to street noises, particularly motorcycles and souped-up scooters – a modified scooter crossing Paris at night we can wake as many as 10,000 people.

Motorcycling is a very sensual thing

The Guardian in the UK recently reported on the advent of electric vehicles, and how they will eventually extend to motorcycles. The article considers the views of a number of enthusiasts and stakeholders and discussed how many people may be reluctant to adopt an electric motorbike. 

Noise as a Public Health Hazard

Quiet Communities is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping communities reduce health and environmental harm from noise and pollution. It operates through five programs: Quiet American Skies, Quiet Outdoors, Quiet Coalition, Quiet Healthcare, and Quiet Conversation. The new policy statement from Quiet Communities was recently adopted by the American Public Health Association (APHA). The policy calls for national noise standards, enforcement, education, outreach, and action on noise as a public health hazard – which is long overdue in the U.S. APHA champions the health of all people and all communities and highlights public health issues and policies backed by science.

New UNEP Frontiers Report considers noise and soundscapes

The 2022 United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Frontiers Report identifies noise as an emerging issue of environmental concern. It recognizes two major shortcomings in the current approach to addressing noise pollution that need to be addressed: the inherent limitation of using a reactive approach to noise control and thinking of sound only in terms of discomfort. The report notes that there needs to be an extension of the scope of policymaking, shifting from only managing noise pollution to considering environmental sounds as opportunities for promoting healthy living environments for all ages, gender, and social groups.

Call for Nominations: 2023 Safe-in-Sound Awards

Is your company or one you know passionate about noise control? If your company makes extra efforts to prevent hearing loss, they might be eligible for the Safe-in-Sound Award. Established by NIOSH in 2008 and now co-sponsored by the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) and the Council on Accreditation of Hearing Conservationists (CAOHC), awards are given each year to companies and individuals who have demonstrated excellence or innovation in hearing loss prevention. If a company you know has that passion and has made such contributions, you can nominate them by June 8, 2022. You can nominate yourself by July 15, 2022. Information about how to apply is on the web at www.safeinsound.us. The website also has useful tips on how to submit a strong application. Join the small group of award winners who have achieved new heights in hearing loss prevention.

Estimating the harmful effects of environmental transport noise

Researchers in UCD (Ireland), recently performed a study to quantify environmental noise-induced harmful effects in Ireland. Annex III of the Environmental Noise Directive (END) describes how harmful effects from environmental noise may be calculated for ischemic heart disease (IHD), high annoyance (HA), and high sleep disturbance (HSD) for road, rail, and aircraft noise for EU Member States (MS). This method was used for this study, and the results outline the scale of harmful effects from environmental noise from transport in Ireland.