April 22nd is Earth Day. This day is a time to celebrate nature, and to protect the environment from pollution. Excessive noise pollution is often overlooked. Americans are constantly exposed to excessive noise from motorbikes, lawn mowers, gas-powered engines, loud cars stereos, barking canines, helicopters or planes, noisy neighbors, automobile traffic, helicopters as well as back-up beepers, honking and train horns, alarms, and many other sources.
All this acoustic chaos has a very negative impact. High levels of noise are linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, hearing loss, sleep deprivation and ringing in the ears. Excessive noise can also lead to lower property values, decreased job performance, and reduced academic performance.
Climate change is also affected by noise. Around 5% national air pollution is due to lawn and garden equipment. According to an EPA study, a gas-powered leaf blower produces as many nitrogen oxide emissions as 11 cars in one hour.
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Noise is also a problem for the ecosystem. High-intensity sounds can cause fear and lead to species abandoning their habitat. The constant noise is causing birds to chirp louder. There has been an increase of 16-fold in ocean noise since 1960s, which poses a threat to fish and dolphins as well as other marine life.
What can we do? Municipalities should ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The police should enforce noise ordinances vigorously. The federal noise pollution control agency should be fully funded by Congress. Individuals should join Noise Free America, A Coalition to Promote Quiet.
Dariusz Gulanczyk, Elgin
Save Chicagos vintage businesses
I was sorry that the editorial said goodbye to Dinkels Bakery, 100 years old. Similar editorials have been published in the past, praising the closing of vintage Chicago businesses.
Why not publish such pieces?BeforeAre vintage businesses closing? A column could be published on vintage businesses. These articles might increase the number of customers for the business, which could make them less likely to close. If the owners are retiring, it might be easier to sell the company to someone else. Even if the business closes, there are still many customers who could benefit from them while they are here.
Eleanor Hall, Hyde Park
Lollapalooza on Soldier Field
The recent article on Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago, looking at different options for the 56-acre Soldier Field Museum Campus was very accurate.
It would be perfect for Lollapalooza. It has enough space to accommodate the 100,000 attendees. Additionally, it avoids Lollapalooza encroaching Grant Park, destroying the softball field and denying Chicago its grass for several weeks.
However, Lollapalooza’s appeal to Chicago’s 1% means that this is unlikely to happen.
James Murray, Loop
