Noise Awareness Day

Noise pollution and loss of hearing is such an important issue that there is an International Noise Awareness Day (April 30). Noise affects the quality of life. That's been proven.

Vipassana Yoga

Another thing that has been around forever but only recently become trendy is the practice of Vipassana. This usually entails going on silent retreats for 10-30 days. It hit the zeitgeist when former CEO of Twitter and its original founder, Jack Dorsey, went on such a retreat. It's quite a privilege since people who work hourly don't get paid time off no less have the ability to afford traveling to an ashram in another state or all the way to Myanmar or India. To learn more, you can read the tradition's history and modern use at the Vipassana Research Institute.

"During the entire duration of the retreat, students remain within the course site having no contact with the outer world. They refrain from reading and writing, and suspend all religious practices or other disciplines. During the course, participants follow a prescribed Code of Discipline. They also observe noble silence by not communicating with fellow students; however, they are free to discuss meditation questions with the teacher and material problems with the management."

How Noise Affects Animals

While the INAD site gives information about how humans are affected, it requires going to sites like National Geographic to see how animals are affected.

"Noise pollution also impacts the health and well-being of wildlife. Studies have shown that loud noises can cause caterpillars' dorsal vessels (the insect equivalent of a heart) to beat faster, and cause bluebirds to have fewer chicks. Animals use sound for a variety of reasons, including to navigate, find food, attract mates, and avoid predators. Noise pollution makes it difficult for them to accomplish these tasks, which affects their ability survive." --NatGeo

Noise Triggers Past & Current Trauma

Noise is a trigger for anxiety, autism, and trauma; and it is a cause of chronic stress. To learn about PTSD pertaining to veterans, visit the VA website. Of course, veterans are not the only people who develop PTSD or C-PTSD. Often people who have been abused or have spent long periods of time in hardship go through this too.

There is an extreme example of what can happen when an individual who is clearly not mentally well, has been forewarned via mail about his neighboring farmers' plans, is faced with dawn to dusk blasts of one of the "smaller" style propane bird cannons. He went after the farmer with a shotgun and rifle.

Noisy environments are detrimental to mental and physical health. Noise can cause stress which can lead to cardiovascular issues, digestive problems, and manifest in a variety of other ways.

Agricultural Noise is Exempt

Everything has an exception to the rules. NJSA 13:1G-1 Chapter 29 Noise Control subsection 7:29-1.5 lists exceptions to everything in the prior subsections and the very first one is Agricultural Activities.

I looked into noise pollution and hearing health on farms and came across several websites that provided educational information for the workers about wearing ear protection. There is no sustainable way to expect neighbors to manage their hearing protection when:

a) they didn't know neighboring land was going to become a farm;

b) they never know when the machines will be in use;

c) they were never given a chance to vote with proper information and education about the decibels of agricultural machines in our modern age.

My father's hearing is nearly gone completely because he has been around loud engines his entire life. His first jobs were in construction. Then he became a truck driver, including his time in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Even while being a full-time truck driver, he resumes duties in the National Guard specializing in tanks. He also volunteered for the local fire department and drove their trucks. Back in the day, fire fighters were called out by blaring sirens from the stations. Now they get called through a cellular service which is fine unless your cell service goes down.

It's no wonder he lost his hearing. Whether it's a certain personality type, generation, or lack of interest, he is not about to learn sign language. Appointments with the VA are harder than ever to get. The VA facilities are an hour away. The White House Administration also wants to eliminate yet another 80,000 VA jobs. They've gutted OSHA which was responsible for things like protecting workers' hearing and overall health. Don't expect your employer to care about your well-being.

Actionable Steps

For yourself:

Hearing protection. For what it's worth, I already wear noise-canceling headphones or earplugs most of day and I can still hear traffic and leaf blowers. What I can't hear is nature. I'm not the only one that deserves to hear the sounds of the birds, the frogs, the trees rustling. The headphones require charging; ear plugs do not. I've looked into reports for "the best" in ear plugs and they also work electronically requiring charging and cost hundreds of dollars.

The INAD also encourages people to get their hearing checked.

Educate your children on the dangers of noise. Most teens will ignore it and continue to listen to their favorite music as loud as possible and go to concerts where amps are the size of a car. Noisy classrooms can affect the learning environment too.

Check Your Environment's Decibels:

There are sound meter apps for Apple and Android phones. If you don't want your device listening in to yet more of what goes on around you, you can buy an actual sound meter device. The price range varies greatly, even more than noise-canceling ear buds. They can be anywhere from $20 to thousands of dollars.

Push for Legislation:

"Advocate for legislative change to reduce noise in your community, introduce quiet spaces, apply noise-reducing technology and manage excess noise in cities." -- INAD

You can look up your federal and state representatives through many websites.