Jessica Park - Silence is Golden
We have been taught at a young age that we shouldn't create pollution due to the detriments it poses to the environment and ecosystems around us. However, whenever we talk about pollution, we tend to think about the tangible kind like water, land, and air pollution. One type that we don't talk about is noise pollution. That's right, folks! You are polluting the earth just by talking.
Maybe classifying conversations as pollution is a bit of a stretch, but if you have a friend who doesn't have an "indoor voice", then you can inform them that they’re contributing to noise pollution. Better yet, if you live by the airport and the constant planes travelling is too loud for you to live peacefully, you can yell at them to stop disturbing the natural balance of the ecosystem. Then again, you wouldn't be helping the situation by shouting like a grumpy old man on his porch at a bunch of whippersnappers, but you get the idea. Basically, noise pollution is any sound that causes an unwanted annoyance. It doesn’t have to be in a specific decibel range. If it’s a disturbance, then it’s noise pollution.
Like all other anthropogenic pollution, noise can disturb the balance of ecosystems. Certain male birds and frogs are forced to change the frequency of their mating call to be heard over the acoustic pollution, which is seen as less desirable to the females, leading to less reproduction. Rather than adapting to the change, other animals like the scrub jay move to more peaceful areas when their habitat is too loud for them to be able to communicate effectively. Because there are no jays to bury pine tree seeds in preparation for the winter, the pine population starts to dwindle. By taking out a whole entire species from an ecosystem, the environment slowly starts to fall apart. Unfortunately, this issue is not exclusive to land animals. Sound travels faster in water and also doesn't lose its intensity as quickly as it would through air. Activities like ocean transportation, oil and gas exploration, and seismic and sonar waves can disturb the communication between dolphins and whales. It can also affect their migration patterns, as they use echolocation to navigate their way. Moreover, the change in pressure due to the sounds caused by humans in the ocean can lead to physical trauma in the animals' ears and brain.
Loud noises don't seem very significant to humans, but exposure to noise pollution can pose a plethora of health problems. It can lead to issues including but not limited to stress, hypertension (high blood pressure), ulcers, migraines, birth defects, and disruption of sleep. The most common consequence is hearing loss. Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have taken measures to regulate loud noise sources like construction equipment, transportation vehicles, and low noise emission products under the Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978. Additionally, the EPA suggests that if people have to be around loud sounds, they should wear hearing protection equipment like ear muffs. Essentially, it wouldn't hurt to wear ear plugs to JMBLYA. Your body will thank you later.
Questions:
What are some solutions you propose to combat the issue of anthropogenic noise in oceans?
What other consequences do you think noise can create?
How can you decrease your contribution to noise pollution on a personal/local level?
Sources:
https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/clean-air-act-title-iv-noise-pollution
http://www.nonoise.org/library/handbook/handbook.htm
https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/noise-pollution-and-environment
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