How the media covered noise and acoustics in 2021
Every January, Soundproofist compiles a list of notable articles on noise and acoustics that were published during the previous year. So what was notable in 2021?
First, the quietness that punctuated the early days of the pandemic in 2020 slowly disappeared. It was replaced again by human and machine noise, as people tried to return to “normal.”
We experienced some notable losses in the soundscape world. In particular, the legendary R. Murray Schafer passed away in August, which rocked the acoustic ecology and music community. And in October, Ian Rawes passed away. Ian created the London Sound Survey, which includes a collection of London sound recordings from the 1920s through the 1950s.
So here’s a list of some articles published in English in 2021 about noise, acoustic ecology, and hearing.
January 2021
POLITICO: “Noise returns to Europe after COVID quiet interlude,” by Eline Schaart
Cambridge Independent: “Hear the sounds of space weather as Cambridge artist turns British Antarctic Survey data into album,” by Alex Spencer. Learn about Diana Scarborough, who created an album of space music in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.
February 2021
New York Post: “Under the sea, humans have changed ocean sounds,” by Christina Larson. This article appeared in multiple publications online.
Reuters: “Noise pollution is harming sea life, needs to be prioritized, scientists say,” by Sharon Bernstein
Knowable Magazine: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart,” by Cypress Hansen. This article was released under a Creative Commons license and then picked up by other publications.
March 2021
UN News: “Untreated hearing loss threatens nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide – WHO”
April 2021
The New York Times: “The Robots Are Coming … to Mow Your Lawn,” by Ellen Rosen on battery-powered lawn equipment versus gas-powered tools.
May 2021
Curbed: “There’s No One in Charge of New York’s Noisy Helicopters,” by Valeria Ricciulli
BBC: “Noisy appliances: how loud is your house?” by Zoe Kleinman, a look at Quiet Mark and its founder, Poppy Szkiler.
The Guardian: “Everything but the gull: how Ben Watt fought the Covid blues with birdsong,” by Sam Wollaston
WIRED: “The fight for quiet in a world full of noise pollution” — on Quiet Parks International and Gordon Hempton.
June 2021
The Scientist: “How Environmental Noise Harms the Cardiovascular System,” by Thomas Münzel and Omar Hahad
July 2021
BBC: “The World’s Most Endangered Sound,” by Eliot Stein. An article about acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton.
Sakai Magazine: “Noise Pollution Affects Practically Everything, Even Seagrass,” by Ashley Braun
The New York Times: “This ‘Shazam’ for Birds Could Help Save Them,” by Margaret Renkl
The Independent: “Belgrade residents tell rights court of bar noise ‘torture'”
DW Eco India: “Dealing with noise pollution in Delhi”
The New York Post: “Helicopters are ruining Shakespeare in the Park”
August 2021
Acoustic ecologist R. Murray Schafer passed away in August, 2021. The articles and retrospectives on his contributions and enduring legacy are too numerous to list here. Below, we’ll list just a few.
The New York Times: “R. Murray Schafer, Composer Who Heard Nature’s Music, Dies at 88,” by William Robin
CBC: “R. Murray Schafer, composer, writer, and acoustic ecologist, has died at 88,” by Robert Rowat
International Society for Contemporary Music: “Remembering R. Murray Schafer (1933-2021)”
Oregon ArtsWatch: “From Earth to Elsewhere: Remembering R. Murray Schafer”
The Telegraph: “Why background noise at home is driving us mad – and how to get away from it,” by Jenny Tucker
Euroweekly News: “New noise radars will be installed in Spain soon,” by Chris King
September 2021
Wall Street Journal: “Hearing Too Much in a Noisy World,” by Nina Kraus
France 24: “Sounding off: The hidden cost of noise pollution in France,” by Nadia CHARBIT
October 2021
London Evening-Standard: “Sound of the city – the man who created a sonic portrait of London,” by Susannah Butter. A tribute to Ian Rawes, creator of the London Sound Survey, who passed away at the age of 56.
The Wire: “Ian Rawes (26 February 1965-October 2021)”
The New York Times: “As Helicopters Fill the Skies, New Yorkers Just Want Some Peace,” by Patrick McGeehan and Michael Gold. (For more on the topic of tourist helicopters over New York City, listen to Soundproofist podcast episode 24.)
The Los Angeles Times: “Op-Ed: Keep it down: Why returning to pre-pandemic noise levels can be harmful for plants and animals,” by Nina Kraus
Fast Company: “Your city is too loud. Here’s how urban designers are fighting ‘sonic trash’,” by Nate Berg
The New York Times: “The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Leaf Blowers,” by Margaret Renkl
November 2021
The Globe and Mail: “The sound of climate change,” by Caitlin Stall-Paquet
Washington Post: “My hearing isn’t what it used to be. But will I look old wearing an ear device?” by Steven Petrow
December 2021
Evening Standard: “9/10 Londoners bothered by capital’s noise pollution, says new research”
City Journal: “The Gotham Cacophony,” by Nicole Gelinas
BBC: “Why this wildlife expert is making his archive public,” by Mark Savage. About sound recordist Martyn Stewart, whose illness prompted him to share his archives publicly.
Popular Science: “It’s never too early to start protecting your hearing,” by Jean Feingold
Bloomberg CityLab: “Automating the War on Noise Pollution,” by Linda Poon
Enjoy the articles, and onwards into the soundscape of 2022!
— Soundproofist