Photo credit: Cameron Casey from Pexels
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
I hadn’t thought about how much noise I make–I’m pretty sure I don’t make much except occasional hammering and power tool use when doing yard and household maintenance–until I read this article by Paige Towers in The Guardian that introduces the concept of a person’s noise footprint.
We talk about our carbon footprint and what those concerned about climate change can do to try to reduce theirs, but we should think about how much noise we make, too. The amount of carbon dioxide and related substances each person produces from fossil fuel use affects the world, including humans and animals. So does the amount of noise we each produce.
As Ms. Towers points out, some noise production is inevitable, but if we have a choice to use a quieter alternative, we should make that choice. And her call for noise activism is exactly what I’ve encouraged for years. If we all do our part, the world will be a quieter, healthier place.
