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Noise - Acoustics #3
Architecture of Israel #
109
|
May
2017
|
page
english
noise - third article in a series
subjective phenomenon
that doesn’t bother
those who make it
It is widely accepted that noise is an
environmental hazard in all respects – an
unreasonable disturbance that affects
people’s mental and physical health - the
factor that most undermines neighborly
relations and that often ends in lawsuits,
fights, or even death.
The question is why isn't noise prevention
embedded in basic laws?
The reason is probably the fact that those
who suffer from noise are far weaker
than those who make it; usually an older
population whose noisy chicks have left the
nest, and all they aspire to is a little peace
and quiet, not only during rest hours but
always and everywhere, especially in their
own homes. This while noisemakers have
“loud voices”, both in terms of number and
influence. And this doesn’t only refer to
politicians, it can be any nouveau riche sod,
or just large families in the city… or village.
And even worse - noise is a subjective issue
that doesn’t bother those who produce it.
Thesourcesofmost noisearehumanbeings.
Research shows that noise-making already
develops as a means of communication for
babies, who quickly understand that their
shrieks, whether justified or not, attract their
parents’ attention, seeing it as an expression
of distress. For their part, parents learn to
live with noise, and the social consequence
is a gradual increase of general noise level.
This pattern of communication finds
expression later on in kindergartens where
teachers must overcome children’s chorus
of noise, and they themselves develop an
adaptive shouting style. This somewhat
diminishes in school classrooms, but
Strange as it may sound, as far as the authorities are concerned, excessive noise isn’t
considered worthy of effort, but something trivial they can live with without having to pay a
political price. Evidently, they themselvesmake indiscriminate noisewithout any consideration
for residents, not to mention their refraining from enforcing existing laws bearing their own
signatures. And indeed, in comparison with hunger in Africa, chemical bombing in Syria,
and the globe’s warming up, the subject pales into painful neglect, despite the fact that most
residents' complaints are about noise that strongly affect their wellbeing.
quickly explodes as a common style of
communication during breaks.
Health damage caused by noise is backed
up by many studies. A research by the
World Health Organization found that school
children suffer from accumulative noise
damage far more than workers on building
sites. Consequently, they frequently develop
illnesses, mainly among the disadvantaged,
who are forced to live in noisy environments
– near highways, airports, trains, industrial
factories, etc.
Studies dealing with damage caused to
American soldiers returning from Iraq,
reveals that about a third suffer from severe
hearing problems. Other studies show that
more than three million wrong prescriptions
are handed out in hospitals located in a
noisy environment; that living in a noisy
environment increases the risk of hearing
impaired children among pregnant women;
that pupils in a noisy environment tend to
develop attention disorders more often; that
disadvantaged families who live in noisy
environments suffer more from insomnia;
and that most workers in risky jobs tend to
be involved in accidents due to lack of sleep.
Anthropological studies indicate that despite
thousands of years of evolution, the sense
of hearing remains (at best) similar to that
of Ancient Man, who inhabited a quiet
environment in nature. However, in most of
our natural environments today, it is difficult
to hold a 50 decibel conversation since the
average background noise is louder than 50
decibels. All this prevents people who are
seeking peace in nature from conducting a
quiet conversation, reading a book or easing
their minds from the noisy city.
17
E ng. Omri
Abas
In principle, not many wish to live in
an environment that is overly quiet,
since background noise is an important
characteristic of a place. Urban noise differs
from village quiet; there is a different sound
in every part of the city at different times of
the day or year. Sounds evoke memories,
which are translated into sensations, thus
giving a place its extra value.
A side-effect of over-crowding is ever
increasing background noise – in streets,
cafes, and recreation sites. Heading this
list is the beach that once allowed an
escape from the built environment, but is
characterized today by (in)human noises
– sirens, balls and rackets, smartphones,
children’s shrieks and irritating, screaming
pop music.
The Exodus didn’t only happen because of
Moses. Beside him were many hundreds
of people with influence who believed in
his path. Proudly, the two first articles in
this series have already contributed to
awareness of noise.
It is too early to glean results from the field,
but who ever dreamed that a child would
pass a flower in a field without daring to pick
it?
Consciousness is the first step to dealing
with any problem. The second is direct
influence through laws and legislation.
Today, many more understand that quiet is
a dear resource and attempt to seek it on
the periphery. And in the center – several
municipalities are seriously considering
hiring full-time acoustics advisors for both
planning and implementation, seeking to
improve quality of life.