1--Script
The sense of sound is one of our most important means of knowing what isgoing on around us. We are warned of danger by sounds—by a siren or a rattlesnake. Sounds serve to please us in music. Sound has a waste product, too, inthe form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing andmay get much worse before it gets any better.
Scientists, for several years, have been studying how noise affects peopleand animals. They are alarmed by what they have learned. Peace and quiet arebecoming harder to find. Noise pollution— the crashing, squeaking, banging,hammering of people—is no joke. It is a threat that should be looked atcarefully. Sound is measured in units called “decibels”. At a level of 140decibels people feel pain in their ears.
Automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, factories,bands—all these things make noise. They bother not only our ears, but our mindsand bodies as well. There is a saying about it being so noisy that you can’thear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimeshear ourselves think. If we don’t, we may have headaches, other aches andpains, or even worse mental problems. Noise adds more tension to a society thatalready faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome,people complained so much about the noise that Julius Caesar stopped chariotsfrom moving through the streets at night!
Noise can be separated into a few general groups. The following examplesare taken from hear- ings before the US Senate Subcommittee on Air and WaterPollution in 1970.
Occupational noise—Factory workers who always hear noise have poorerhearing than other groups.
Aircraft noise—Around airports or on air routes the noise of airplanestaking off and landing causes the greatest complaints.
Traffic noise—Away from the noise ofplanes, traffic sounds break in on our peace and quiet. Trucks and motorcyclescause the most problems.