A word from James Watt, Ronald Reagan's one-time Secretary of the
Interior was once asked a question about noise in America -
especially the national parks:
"Noise is power!" he responded to the reporter.
The drag races at Infineon Raceway, 18 miles (29km) south of us can
be heard at our place any weekend they run. The sound must travel
over wetlands, several modest mountain ranges, a city, and the
prevailing wind is typically from the NW (heading in the opposite
direction). 80,000 - 100,000 people attend - to hear the noise!
At a science conference for the Nat. Park Service in DC on the
subject of noise, a biologist from Aberdeen Proving Grounds (US Army)
was telling a group of us that he had tried several types of cannons
to shoo birds from the end of the runway, there. He then proudly
repeated the words of one of his colleagues, who observed "The noise
of cannons are the sound of freedom." To which I replied, "Yes.
Depends on which side of the cannon you're standing."
Restaurant designers plan to get us the hell out of a venue quickly
by designing parallel walls, ceilings and floors with hard surfaces,
installing sound systems calibrated to "sizzle" and/or "boom" with
extreme hi and/or lo freq emphasis and music levels and types
designed to mask any meaningful conversation between folks. In a
reverberant space, the noise is amplified, causes stress, and
turnover is much faster because patrons, in denial of the effect,
can't stand the tumult beyond a certain point. Yet the patrons are
drawn to the noise in the first place because they are convinced that
that's where the action is.
When we stop equating noise with power (or a feeling thereof), we'll
begin to shut the hell up. We'll have to first learn that real power
doesn't come from straight pipe of a Harley, a Chevy, or a 357 Magnum.
Bernie
>Yuba Pass is that way... A lot of motorcycles but by far the Harleys are t=
he
>worst... Only thing on the road that is "allowed" (?) to run with straigh=
t
>pipes. They will never ban Harleys as there are a lot more hog riders than
>nature recorders.
>Here in Phoenix the rubberized asphalt is great... Lowers the road noise i=
n
>the car by 5db
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
> On Behalf Of Rob Danielson
>Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 7:23 PM
>To:
>Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Noiseless Aircraft
>
>There are so many harley davidson motorcycles up here, I'm thankful when I
>detect the sound of approaching tires. Each harley motorcycle lasts from 2
>to 4 minutes depending on the geography. Each one wipes the slate. With as
>many as 10-20 an hour at peak cruising times,
>there are times the animals can't slip in a word edgewise. How
>about highways that are off bounds for trucks and harleys? Seems like
>communities who enjoy the peace would be ready to respond. Rob D.
>
> =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D
>
>At 6:17 PM -0700 8/17/05, Jim Morgan wrote:
>>Rubberized asphalt is starting to be used in Arizona and elsewhere.
>>
>>See
>>http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/EEG/QuietRoads/what_is_rubberized_asphalt
>>.asp
>>
>>I have driven on these rubberized roads and there is a dramatic
>>reduction in noise and an increase in the smoothness of ride.
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>Jim Morgan
>>Prescott, Arizona USA
>>http://www.wingsofnature.com
>>
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