New research shows that excessive noise levels have significant negative impacts on heart health.
Many urban dwellers know the familiar fatigue caused by persistent traffic and aircraft noise, but it's not just hearing and mental health that suffer. New research shows that sound can have deleterious effects on heart health, report Cypress Hansen and Knowable Magazine in The Atlantic.
A German cardiologist living near the Frankfurt Airport started studying the issue after the airport installed a new runway, adding to the daily air traffic and noise experienced by its neighbors. "In the last decade, a growing body of research more directly links air and road-traffic noise to heightened risks for a number of cardiovascular ailments—and scientists are starting to pinpoint the mechanisms at play." In the case of the Frankfurt airport, people living nearby have a 7% higher risk of stroke.
Research like this has spurred city leaders around the world to more closely analyze the effects of urban noise on health and take measures to mitigate the impact of noise pollution on public health. "Despite the remaining questions, there’s a growing recognition of connections between noise pollution and reduced physical health. A 2018 report by the World Health Organization noted that each year, Western Europeans are collectively losing more than 1.6 million years of healthy life because of traffic noise." As the data become clearer, cities can develop more comprehensive strategies to minimize noise pollution and protect public health.
FULL STORY: Traffic Noise Is a Silent Killer
Opinion: Loud Driving is a Public Health Threat
As more research demonstrates the negative health and environmental impacts of excessive traffic noise, the New York state legislature has passed a bill prohibiting the sale of muffler modification devices.
Estonian Capital Launches Noise Reduction Action Plan
European Union cities are required to create ‘noise maps’ and strategic plans for reducing environmental noise.
Noise as a Public Health Hazard
New ways of measuring the effects of sound on human health are helping communities fight back against noise pollution.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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