tagged w/ Noise Pollution
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Traffic noise is a common complaint among urban commuters. Along with the many damaging physical health problems, prolonged excessive noise exposure can also cause severe psychological problems including aggression, high stress levels and depression. Crowded cities suffer the most from noise polluting issues from construction machine to sirens to honking horns it would seem escaping the daily noises in your average urban area would be impossible. However, some cities have taken a harsh position against noise pollution in an effort to promote green living.
Portland, OR, is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world, in fact it has some of the strongest investments in alternative transportation systems, including light-rail projects and bio-diesel fueled buses. It is no wonder, then, that Portland also has some of the oldest noise-pollution laws in the country. These laws limit everything from the decibel levels of your leaf blower to regulations on the sound output on a construction site and with fines of upwards of $5,000 per infraction; Portland has some of the toughest noise ordinance laws on the books.
As seen in the Personal Rapid Transit video, transportation services like the PRT, monorail or light-rail systems are quieter modes a key component in urban mobility innovation. Aside from tough fines and alternative transport, what are some other steps we can take to minimize noise pollution in our neighborhoods?Traffic noise is a common complaint among urban commuters. Along with the many... more
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Video at the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13416020
With whisper-quiet electric cars set to proliferate, the motor industry is under pressure to give them an artificial noise for safety purposes, but should they sound like traditional petrol vehicles?
It is an unsettling experience watching a car drive around, hearing little more than the whisper of the wind it generates as it glides down the road.
There would have been little time to get out of its way had it gone unseen.
Such a moment is the essence of the debate over how electric and hydrogen fuel cars should sound in the future.
The answer could determine how different cities could sound in 10 or 20 years. The rise of the electric car presents a rare opportunity to tackle the persistent roar of traffic that many city dwellers are used to.
Electric and hydrogen fuel vehicles are inherently quiet. The sound of the tyres on the road is noisier than the engine and this could prove lethal at slow speeds for pedestrians and cyclists.
Motor manufacturers acknowledge there is a problem. Some, like Nissan, are already fitting speakers under the bonnets of these vehicles to emit sounds for the safety of other road users.
Others are planning on doing the same.
And with the UK government predicting 8,600 electric cars will be sold by the end of this year, sound engineers say there is a pressing need to come up with some ground rules as to what sounds to pick.
So why not just stick with the current sound of a conventional combustion engine?
"That would be losing a huge opportunity," says Prof Paul Jennings from Warwick University who leads a project looking into alternative vehicle noises.
"We all know traffic noise can be annoying and the levels are significantly high. We do not want to lose the benefit we could get from using new reduced sounds."
He says: "The challenge is to create sounds that are as safe as possible but also ones that are much more pleasing for the urban environment."
As part of the engineering project, an electric vehicle called Elvin (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise), is being driven around the university campus demonstrating a small sample of made-up sounds.
Chief among them are a deep sounding buzz, a high pitched hum and one that sounds like a piece of cardboard stuck in the spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel.
And then there is something that sounds like a 1950s UFO movie.
"It's important that the sound is associated with transport and a lot of how people interpret sound is based on their experiences," says Prof Jennings.
"For electric vehicles and futuristic vehicles a lot of those experiences are from the media, from games and from science fiction films."
There are certain noises that people associate with transport and they alert us that a vehicle is heading in our direction.
Whatever car manufacturers choose will only be effective if it does the same.
But balancing the needs for safety and improving the environment are not the only requirements. Clearly the manufacturers will have a big say in what happens.
If, for example, Ferrari were to ever make an electric car they would want it to sound like a Ferrari does now.
Luxury 'noise'
"Manufacturers know what the right sound is for their product," says Roger Williams, whose company Novisim provides computer simulators to help design car sounds.
"What they are keen on is a sound that matches the image of their vehicle, whether it's a sporty one or a luxury one."
Other road users will want to have their say too. In the next couple of months a group of blind and partially sighted will be invited to Warwick University to give their verdict on what they hear.
The synthetic "engine noises" will be played to them through one of Novisim's computer programmes, which can simulate how a whole town of full of electric cars would sound all at once.
Guide dogs are obviously trained to respond to the noises of vehicles," says Andrea Cooper, a student at the university who has been blind since birth.
"So obviously I think it's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to."
The more you delve into the issue the more apparent the complications become.
How loud they should these vehicles be? Do they need to make a noise when they are stopped at the traffic lights? How would hundreds of unmatched vehicle noises sound altogether on our streets?
Researchers at Warwick University intend to make the results of their research available to the EU, which is planning to legislate on electric and hydrogen car sounds sometime in 2011.
The conclusions will determine the noise you hear when you open your window 20 years from now.Video at the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13416020
With whisper-quiet... more
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A woman who ignored an Asbo which banned her from having noisy sex is due to be sentenced for breaching it.
Caroline and Steve Cartwright's sex life was so loud, a woman taking her child to school complained, and it was claimed they drowned out nearby televisions.
Neighbours and even the postman objected and the 48-year-old from Concord, Washington, Tyne and Wear, was first hit with a noise abatement notice, then an Asbo ordering her to quieten down in the bedroom.
Almost immediately after it was imposed she broke it and then failed in an appeal to have it overturned.
She claimed the Asbo breached her human rights.
At a previous hearing, Recorder Jeremy Freedman said: "It certainly was intrusive and constituted a statutory nuisance.
"It was clearly of a very disturbing nature and it was also compounded by the duration - this was not a one-off, it went on for hours at a time.
"It is further compounded by the frequency of the episode, virtually every night."
She will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/uk-ireland/noisy-sex-ban--woman-to-be-sentenced-14647870.htmlA woman who ignored an Asbo which banned her from having noisy sex is due to be... more
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http://www.smh.com.au/world/strangebuttrue/noisy-lover-admits-antisocial-sex-20091216-kuym.html
A British woman has admitted breaching an anti-social behaviour order by having noisy sex.
Caroline Cartwright was served with a civil order over marathon romps with husband Steve, described in court as "unnatural" and "like they are both in considerable pain".
Neighbours at their home in Washington, south of Newcastle in north-east England, had complained about the noise - as did passers-by and the postman.
On Tuesday Cartwright pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to violating the order three times in April.
An anti-social behaviour order, or ASBO for short, is a civil order made against people deemed to be a public nuisance, and is more typically issued to young delinquents using threatening behaviour, or disrupting the peace.
At an earlier hearing the court was told that the local council set up special equipment in a neighbour's flat and recorded noise levels of 30-40 decibels, peaking at 47 - as loud as a conversation in the same room.
The couple's neighbour Rachel O'Connor said: "It's just quite unnatural. The noise sounds like they are both in considerable pain. I cannot describe the noise. Totally excessive and I have never, ever heard anything like it.
"I put my television in my bedroom on as loud as it could go and they drown it out."http://www.smh.com.au/world/strangebuttrue/noisy-lover-admits-antisocial-sex-20091216-k... more
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Australia's frogs are having trouble hooking up. Traffic noise and other sounds of city life, like air conditioners and construction noise, are drowning out the mating calls of male frogs in urban areas, leading to a sharp drop in their populations. But in the first study of its kind, a scientist has found that some frogs have figured out a way to compensate for human interference in their love lives.
The sound of a male southern brown tree frog looking for a date is music to the ears of a female southern brown tree frog. But add the sounds of nearby traffic, and the message just isn't getting out, says Kirsten Parris of the University of MelbourneAustralia's frogs are having trouble hooking up. Traffic noise and other sounds... more
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CHP Bulletin NO.98-100
Excessive Noise Enforcement Passenger Vehicles, Light Truck and Motorcycles
The California Highway Patrol, Commercial vehicle Section, has received many inquiries about excessive noise emitted by passenger vehicles, light trucks and motorcycles. Enforcement personnel and the public have inquired regarding enforcement of the Vehicle Code sections pertaining to excessive noise emitted by these vehicles.CHP Bulletin NO.98-100
Excessive Noise Enforcement Passenger Vehicles, Light Truck... more
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This case of swine flu is worse than any of us could have imagined. Like any infection, if you pick at the symptoms, sometimes they get irritated. Sometimes, they even get inflamed.
I am talking specifically about the plague of bikers - Hog riders, in particular - loudly trolling the suburbs over the summer on gasoline-powered Whoopee cushions, not giving a care about who they bother with their obnoxious throttle-rapping.
By Guy TridgellThis case of swine flu is worse than any of us could have imagined. Like any... more
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For the umpteenth time, researchers are warning that Cellular Phones may be leading us down the path to brain cancer...at least the politicians and Kanye West are safe!For the umpteenth time, researchers are warning that Cellular Phones may be leading us... more
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Hello everyone and welcome to you web radio show;
In this episode we are going to discuss an issue that plagues many people not only in my Community but all over the United States. I just received this film from a neighbor about a noisy car alarm incident happening these past week. Here is the story:Hello everyone and welcome to you web radio show;
In this episode we are going to... more
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Newburyport has always been a favorite destination for my husband and me. However, recent visits have not been so enjoyable due to the excessively loud noise of motorcycles.
By Claire Unsinn
Kennebunk, MaineNewburyport has always been a favorite destination for my husband and me. However,... more
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Until early April, the Beatrice Inn was a busy nightclub in the basement of a residential building on quiet, cobbled West 12th Street in Manhattan.
By RAVI SOMAIYA
New York TimesUntil early April, the Beatrice Inn was a busy nightclub in the basement of a... more
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Mean Green Machines talks a lot about pollution in the form of toxic wastes spewed into the air from combustion type vehicles, but there is yet another form of pollution such vehicles promote... noise!
By Eric J. LeechMean Green Machines talks a lot about pollution in the form of toxic wastes spewed... more
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EAST TAMPA - City council members want to hear from police before deciding to launch an anti-noise program that would rely on citizen reporting and nonpunitive letters mailed to offenders.
By KATHY STEELEEAST TAMPA - City council members want to hear from police before deciding to launch... more
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Noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home and during leisure time. Traffic noise alone is harming today the health of almost every third European. The main health risks of noise identified by WHO are:
* pain and hearing fatigue;
* hearing impairment including tinnitus;
* annoyance;
* interferences with social behaviour (aggressiveness, protest and helplessness);
* interference with speech communication;
* sleep disturbance and all its consequences on a long and short term basis;
* cardiovascular effects;
* hormonal responses (stress hormones) and their possible consequences on human metabolism (nutrition) and immune system;
* performance at work and school.Noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people’s daily activities... more
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Obama presses the House and Senate to finalize their own versions of health care reform, the real battle over the issue is just heating up -- and it's about to get very personal.
From Jim Acosta
CNNWASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Obama presses the House and Senate to finalize their... more
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Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud music would turn down the sound or use ear protection if told to do so by a health care professional, a new Vanderbilt study performed in conjunction with MTV.com shows.
The study “Intentional Exposure to Loud Music: The 2nd MTV.com Survey Reveals an Opportunity to Educate,” from Vanderbilt’s Roland Eavey, M.D., is being released today in the Journal of Pediatrics.
By Craig Boerner,Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud... more
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Footage from a news story about SF enforcement of loud motorcycles, this video very clearly lists health effects of loud motorcycles and attributes this information to the SF Health Dept.Footage from a news story about SF enforcement of loud motorcycles, this video very... more
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Central District Newsletter
Captain James I. Dudley
June 30, 2009
“Arm yourself….with knowledge!”
Captain’s Comments
My name is Lieutenant Richard Pate and I will be the Acting Captain until James Dudley returns in July 13th, 2009. I have been assigned to the night watch at Central Station since October 2008. I have been in the department since 1981, and I have to admit this is near the top of my list of stations that I have been assigned to. I hope this newsletter will provide you with the same information that Captain Dudley has sent you.
We are gearing up for the Forth of July festivities in the District. It appears there will be two venues, one at Aquatic Park and the other location is Jefferson St, from Hyde to Pier 39.
The Marine Unit will escort the barges with the fire works out to the bay where it is safe. The Command Post will be located at Jefferson / Taylor. The event is free and open to the public. It is advised that you take public transportation due to gridlock in the area. If you decide to drive your vehicle, do not leave valuables in your vehicle that are visible. Also, dress warm, because it will get very cold later in the night. Enjoy your self and have fun. One more note, alcohol consumption in public is not permitted and will be enforced by the officers assigned to the event.
Police Commission Meeting in the Central District-Postponed
Due to construction conflicts, the Police Commission in the Central District has been postponed for a future date. The Commission will hold their regular meeting June 24th at City Hall.
Broadway Corridor
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Friday June 26, 2009
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Felony Arrests 0
Misdemeanor Arrests 2
Drunk Related Arrests 7
Moving Citations 32
Parking Citations 19
Vehicles Towed 11
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Saturday June 27, 2009
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Felony Arrests 1
Misdemeanor Arrests 2
Drunk Related Arrests 1
Moving Citations 25
Parking Citations 8
Vehicles Towed 8
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Crimes of Note:
6/22/09 7:30 AM Washington / Grant Marijuana Sales/ Fireworks Poss.
Officers Chris Del Gandio and Travis Pitcher were on routine patrol when they effected a traffic stop on a vehicle for a loud exhaust system. As Officer Del Gandio approached the vehicle, he smelled a strong odor of marijuana. There were three occupants in the vehicle. After the driver admitted they were smoking marijuana, the officers took the occupants out of the vehicle. The driver told the officers there was some ‘small’ amount of marijuana in a white box behind the driver’s seat. When the officers opened the box, there were 18 baggies containing marijuana. The officers also located fireworks and a pellet gun in the vehicle. All three occupants were booked for possession for sale of marijuana; the driver was booked for possession of a pellet gun and fireworks.
6/23/09 12:28 PM Post/ Leavenworth Theft/ Locked Vehicle
Officers Benito Manning and Cathy Daly were driving their patrol vehicle when they were stopped by a citizen who had just witnessed an auto break-in. The officers asked the witness to help search for the suspect. The officers were driving on Geary St when the witness, who was in the patrol car said ‘that’s him over there’. The officers detained the suspect. A screwdriver was located in his jacket. The officers also learned that the suspect was on active parole. The suspect was booked on theft and a parole violation.
6/23/09 3:07 PM 700 Block of Montgomery Weapon Possession
Officer Mary Godfrey responded to the above location on a report of a male with a gun in his waistband. When she entered the premise, a retired LA Sheriff advised her that he had taken the gun away from the subject. The gun was a semi-automatic handgun fully loaded. The subject did not possess a permit for the gun and was cited.Central District Newsletter
Captain James I. Dudley
June 30, 2009
“Arm... more
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Mark 16:15 John 1-5 Ephesians 1: 3-4 & 1: 9-10
(Valparaiso, Indiana) - Rev. Dr. George Cairns of Chesterton, Indiana delivers a Sunday homily about “the major evils of today – genocide and ecocide” entitled “Repent or the Time is Near” on May 31, 2009 at the Union Community Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.
In this two part homily video series, Rev. Cairns discusses the “Cosmic Christ” and a related story in “The Lutheran” magazine by Elaine Siemsen, the United Nations definition of genocide, the loss of language and other heritages in Indigenous peoples like the American Indian, Ecocide, the acclaimed ABC News Special “Earth 2100” and how many experts believes the Earth and its inhabitants are facing the “the Sixth Great Extinction” of the world.
Cairns talks about the results of the American Museum of Natural History national survey on Ecocide that “reveals a biodiversity crisis” and is entitled “Scientific Experts Believe we are in the Midst of Fastest Mass Extinction in Earth's History: Crisis Poses Major Threat to Human Survival; Public Unaware of Danger”
With the statute of limitations up, Rev. Cairns confesses his childhood antics to prevent a highway construction project from ruining the woods in which he played - now an interstate freeway has “vaporized” those woods that meant so much to him while growing up.
The other homilies on Celtic Christianity take a look at several topics including the European roots of the Celts (primarily Scotland and Ireland) and how Earth-based cultures can impact the future of civilization including actively protecting the environment, respecting fellow humans, different cultures and nature.
Cairns works closely with Rev. Gregory Jones on several social fronts.
Rev. Jones is the pastor of the Union Community Church and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University.
Founded in 2007, The non-profit Turtle Island Project is known for its ongoing work with Native American issues and the other wing involves other Earth-based religions like the Celts. Dr. Cairns is the co-founder of the nonprofit Turtle Island Project.
Rev. Cairns continues to work closely with the foremost Celtic group in the world, the Iona Community in Scotland.
Celtic Christianity Today
www.celticchristianitytoday.org
youtube & bliptv:
http://celticchristianity.blip.tv
www.youtube.com/celticchristianity
Rev. George Cairns, Spirit Cafe blog, United Church of Christ
http://i.ucc.org/FeedYourSpirit/SpiritCafe/CafeBlog/tabid/83/Default.aspx
Iona Community
www.iona.org.uk
www.isle-of-iona.com
www.iona-nwf.org/links.htm
Union Community Church, Valparaiso, IN
http://unioncommunitychurchucc.blogspot.com
Rev. Gregory Jones, Theology Department Valparaiso University
www.valpo.edu/theology/faculty/gregoryjones.php
http://faculty.valpo.edu/gjones
The Lutheran Magazine: Who is the Cosmic Christ? By Elaine Siemsen
www.thelutheran.org/article/article_buy.cfm?article_id=2696
United Nations: genocide
www.preventgenocide.org/genocide/officialtext.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocides_in_history
www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/p_genoci.htm
www.hawaii-nation.org/genocide.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide
Native American Genocide:
www.nemasys.com/ghostwolf/Native/genocide.shtml
www.exiledmothers.com/babies_taken_for_adoption/native_american_babies.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_death
www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/01/a-native-american-language-goe.html
Ecocide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecocide
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1574160052/bookrags
American Museum of Natural History survey on Ecocide:
www.well.com/~davidu/amnh.html
www.well.com/~davidu/extinction.html
www.well.com/
www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/02/is-mass-species.html
ABC News Special “Earth 2100”
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100
Sixth Great Extinction:
http://rewilding.org/thesixthgreatextinction.htm
www.nerc.ac.uk/research/issues/biodiversity/sixth.asp
www.well.com/user/davidu/sixthextinction.htmlMark 16:15 John 1-5 Ephesians 1: 3-4 & 1: 9-10
(Valparaiso, Indiana) - Rev. Dr.... more
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