Photo credit: Ingo Joseph
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The magazine Current Affairs just published Sophie Elliot’s article “What Noise Pollution is Doing to Us.” Elliot summarizes a large body of research documenting the adverse effects of noise pollution, unwanted noise in everyday life, on hearing, anxiety, blood pressure, and quality of life, among many other effects. As she notes, much noise pollution can be controlled or reduced. In many cases., e.g., in restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, reducing noise costs nothing: just turn down the volume of amplified music.
Other solutions will cost more, but will yield great benefits in health and quality of life.
A quieter world will be a better and healthier world for us all.
