Photo credit: Sumaira Abdulali licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
This wonderful article in The Atlantic discusses a specific noise issue in Arizona as well as noise pollution generally. In the piece, we are introduced to Karthic Thallikar, an Arizonan who became aware of a low hum in his neighborhood and went on a two-year quest to discover the source. The approach in The Atlantic article is a bit different from that in a recent article in The New Yorker on noise pollution, but both articles are worth reading.
Recently, with the help of several noise colleagues, I recently developed a new definition of noise: noise is unwanted and/or harmful sound. Specific noise levels adversely affecting human health and function can be found in my article in the Fall 2019 issue of Acoustics Today, “Ambient Noise is the New Second-hand Smoke.”
I am encouraged that the mainstream media are examing noise pollution and its adverse effect on health, as there can be no rational doubt that noise is a public health problem. I hope you will join me in working towards making our world a quieter place that is better for all living things.
