As I am writing this, I am slowly becoming aware of the urban and city noise that I have gotten used to. The sound of never ending construction sites, the train passing by, the continuous array of cars (with an occasional horn by an angry driver!) – may I also add the  episodic sirens of either police cars or ambulance cars.

So if you’re also living in a dense and busy city like me, then this peculiar melody is no stranger to your ears! I understand, we all gravitate towards cities due to the abundance and promise of opportunity and prosperity there, however, this comes at a cost to our health – and to the earth’s health.

Noise pollution is just as dangerous as air pollution. Therefore, noise is not just a mere irritant or disturbance, it can have serious health effects on us (regardless of the age).

So for this blog post, I would like to quickly go over the basics so that you and I become aware of the noise around us, sources, and what levels are acceptable for us.