Austrian composer Mozart (1756-1791) insisted that music was not a matter of notes, but the silence between them. For another magnificent composer, influenced by Mozart, the complete deafness suffered by Beethoven (1770-1827) toward the end of his life did not prevent him from composing symphonies as memorable as his Ninth Symphony.
While hearing loss is in no way desirable, both composers demonstrated the importance of silence for reflection and the creative process. Today, though, it isn’t easy to find a place where silence abounds, above all for inhabitants of big cities. It could be said that we live in the era of noise: road and air traffic, emergency service sirens, air conditioning systems, industrial activity, alarms, construction works, the sounds of our own and others’ mobiles, the constant buzz of conversation in bars and terraces and other recreational areas… exposure to them has consequences for our health, social relationships and also for nature. Let’s look at why.
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As far as our physical health is concerned, it has been demonstrated that noise, as well causing hearing loss, can also provoke increased blood pressure, heartbeat acceleration, migraines and even strokes. According to data from the European Environment Agency, 22 million Europeans live exposed to serious disturbances due to external noise. Of these, 6.5 million suffer from sleep disturbance, 48,000 see their heart disease aggravated, over 12,000 children suffer from cognitive deterioration, and 12,000 premature deaths could be related, at least in part, to excessive noise.
Our physical health can also be irreversibly affected by the absence of silence, spoiling sleep, aggravating stress, depression and anxiety, as well as our capacity to concentrate. A study published in the International Applied Psychology Association’s Journal of Environmental Psychology reveals the social effects of noise pollution to include people relating less to others, tending toward isolation.
The planet as a whole is also affected by noise pollution caused by humans. One of the most obvious examples of our interference in sound can be found in data gathered during the period when humans were quarantined due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This produced a 50% reduction in seismic anthropogenic noise, according to an international study published in Science magazine, making it the most silent period in our history since records began.
Birds living in areas where road traffic is intensive change the tone of their song so they can be heard
Noise pollution directly impacts our natural environment, as the racket generated in our towns and cities is enough to alter the lives of birds, insects and mammals. Just as people raise their voices to make themselves heard above the noise around us, so birds living in areas of heavy road traffic change the tone of their song so that they can be heard, affecting the way they communicate with one another and, ultimately, how they reproduce. If excessively strident noise can disorient humans, imagine what it can to insects, whose very survival is stake. And the sociability of mammals in noisy environments can be compared to that of humans, in that they tend to flee and isolate.
The plant world is also affected by excess noise. A years-long study carried out by scientists at NEScent, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in North Carolina in the United States found that noise influences the growth, physiology and relationships between pollinators and micro-organisms of plants. And these negative impacts go on to last several years after the noise causing them has been eliminated.
Excess noise influences the growth, physiology and relationships between pollinators and microorganisms of plants
Silence permits us to reflect and ponder, so as not to take decisions impulsively. It helps us to exercise active listening and reduce our stress levels by minimizing the habitual excess of stimuli, where noise overloads our brains. It helps us maintain a deeper and more empathetic connection with those that surround us, undoubtedly favoring social well-being. It also allows the correct development of ecological dynamics.
The non-profit organization Quiet Parks was formed to recover silence as a social and environmental value by identifying, certifying and protecting the most silent places on the planet. As a result, more and more cities are including silent parks in their planning. There are now 11 such parks in countries such as Taiwan, the US, Spain, Belgium, the UK and Sweden. Fortunately, every day brings new strategies for combating noise in environmental awareness strategies. Since 1996, the last Wednesday of every April is dedicated to International Noise Awareness Day.
Silence permits us to reflect and ponder, so as not to take decisions impulsively
eing aware of the effects that noise pollution causes will help us incorporate simple habits into our daily routines which, as well as contributing to reducing the impact of noise on the environment, will help us to live a healthier life. Some of the small actions we can integrate into our day-to-day include avoiding excessive use of the car, replacing it with bicycles or electric vehicles, and walking when distances permit it, carrying out domestic tasks during recommended hours, promoting the use of parks and allotments or reducing the volume on our electronic devices.
Governments can play their part in contributing to change, too, by taking measures to combat noise pollution, protecting green spaces from noise, creating pedestrian areas by restricting road traffic during certain hours, expanding cycle lane networks and establishing norms that stipulate preventive measures such as noise insulation in newly constructed buildings.
Ending noise pollution will allow us to listen to the silence between notes that Mozart called the essence of music. It will also help us avoid the hearing loss that Beethoven suffered from, and perhaps even, like him, permit us in silence to find the inspiration to live a full life.