Best of 2022 – how the media covered noise issues
Every January, Soundproofist compiles a list of known articles and documentaries about noise, sound, and acoustics that were published in the previous year. The list for 2022 began with articles published in English. But all of you are welcome to submit additional articles that we missed, in any language, and we’ll add them to this list.
We’re pleased that the media has been paying more attention to noise in the past few years, as a health issue, an environmental issue, and as a social issue.
January 2022
The Guardian: “Noises off: the battle to save our quiet places” – by Alex Moshakis
The New Yorker: “The Choppers That Ate New York” – by Zach Helfand About the onslaught of the loud tourist and commuter helicopters that hover over New York City residents every day.
February 2022
Forbes: “2022 Will Be the Summer of Noise Complaints” – by Shain Shapiro
Frontiers 2022: “Noise, Blazes, and Mismatches” – from the UN Environment Programme.
A free, downloadable report with multiple articles about acoustics and noise.
March 2022
United Nations News: “Over one billion people at risk of hearing loss: WHO”
The Los Angeles Times: “Pickleball noise is fueling neighborhood drama from coast to coast” – by Connor Sheets
BBC News: “Beating noise pollution with smart tech” – by Natalie Lisbona
BBC Sounds: “It’s a Bird’s World: Noise pollution”
How noise pollution impacts a bird’s ability to learn how to sing. (This episode might not be available longterm.)
April 2022
Forbes India: “Noise Pollution: When will the government wake up?” – By Sumaira Abdulali
Don’t miss Soundproofist’s podcast interview with Sumaira Abdulali. Find it here: Lowering the noise in India – a conversation with Sumaira Abdulali.
DW (Deutsche Welle): “Noise: The invisible threat”
DW | Eco India: “The invisible threat of noise pollution”
A 26-minute video. “Noise is a form of pollution that can cause health problems – in people and wildlife. But it’s often overlooked as a pollutant.”
May 2022
The New York Times: “Helicopters versus Homeowners: A Very Hamptons Fight” – by Karsten Moran
About the commuter flights going back and forth over Manhattan and the Hamptons, exasperating residents in both locations.
Washington Post: “Saving the Sounds of an Ancient City: As Cairo expands, these are the sounds that could fade away.”
Features interactive sounds.
June 2022
NextCity: “Can Toronto Finally Win its War on Noise Pollution? – by Sabina Wex
July 2022
Vox: “The power of silence in a deafening world” – by Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz
Nautilus: “Swimming in Noise” – by Ruxandra Guidi
How human noise is negatively impacting sea animals and causing them to leave their habitats.
August 2022
The Slowdown: “A Lab in Copenhagen Looks at How Sound Explains the World” – by Julian Shen-Berro
A conversation with Holger Schulze, who runs the Sound Studies Lab at the University of Copenhagen.
Grist: “How climate change is muting nature’s symphony” – by Joseph Winters.
Part of a series from Grist on how climate change is reshaping our senses.
September 2022
The Atlantic: “Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?” – by Xochitl Gonzalez
The author takes the perspective that noise is created by cultural activity, and that perception of noise is based on culture, economics, race, and class.
The Hearing Journal: “A Quieter, More Respectful Society” – by Dr. Arline Bronzaft
Times of India: “Mumbai: After two years of muted festivities, noise levels rise”
Politico: “Europe struggles to turn down volume on deadly traffic noise” – by Giovanna Coi and Aitor Hernández-Morales
October 2022
Horizon Magazine: “Reducing noise pollution with acoustic walls and rubberised roads” – by Tom Cassauwers
BBC News: “Bradford noise-detecting camera to crack down on boy racers”
November 2022
The Washington Post: “Loud music may be damaging ears of 1 billion young people, study says” – by Leo Sands
The Washington Post: “For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain” – by Tim Schauenberg
Treehugger: “Noise Pollution Maps Offer a Nightmare Feast for the Senses” – by Michael d’Estries
December 2022
StreetsBlog NYC: “Going in Circles: Laws to Tame Helicopters Struggle to Take Off” – by Kevin Duggan
Evening Standard: “9/10 Londoners bothered by capital’s noise pollution, says new research” – by Josh Salisbury
Nautilus: “Yes, your loud neighbors are driving you bonkers” – by Lina Zeldovich
The Los Angeles Times “Lost sleep, jangled nerves, panicked pets: The rising onslaught of harmful noise” – by Rachel Bluth
Forbes India: “Firecrackers: The pollution we consciously choose” – by Sumaira Abdulali
Addresses both the noise and toxic-chemical pollutants in firecrackers and their impact on pubic health.
BBC News: “The Hum: Villagers say they’re ‘tortured’ by mystery noise” – by Alex Moss
Bloomberg.com: “NYC Helicopters Are Back, Sending Noise Complaints Soaring 678%” – by Gregory Korte