BlueSkies

We’re Getting Sick of Noise Pollution

Sun Sep 15 2024

The article discusses the increasingly dire environmental crisis caused by global heating and its connection to excessive energy consumption. It highlights how extreme weather events, such as Phoenix, Arizona's record-setting heat, are becoming more common. The human response to climate change, however, is often to ignore it or even worsen it through activities like war-making.

It also delves into the growing issue of noise pollution, especially from industrial sources like data centers. These facilities, which consume large amounts of energy, produce extreme noise pollution that affects the health and well-being of nearby communities. The rise of cryptocurrency mining and AI has exacerbated this issue, as they both demand high energy usage and contribute to noise pollution.

The piece stresses the negative impacts of noise on mental and physical health, drawing attention to how communities exposed to these pollutants suffer from conditions like hearing loss, high blood pressure, and sleep disturbances. The author argues that tackling climate change by reducing fossil fuel consumption will also mitigate noise pollution, creating a quieter and healthier world.

Read the article here:

https://tomdispatch.com/were-getting-sick-of-noise-pollution/