We mourn the passing of Dr. Arline L. Bronzaft, our cherished colleague, mentor, and friend, who died peacefully on October 29, 2025, surrounded by her family. A pioneering environmental psychologist, researcher, and author, Arline’s groundbreaking work from the 1970s onward transformed our understanding of how noise harms learning, cognition, and health.

This edition of the QC newsletter shares recent progress in reducing harmful noise through new grants, educational videos, and a Quiet Hours™ restaurant pilot; announces QC’s Candid Platinum rating and new T‑shirts; highlights a grassroots success making a retirement community dining room quieter, and more.

This edition of the QC newsletter previews fall events on quieter landscaping in Wilmette, IL, vehicle noise reduction in Naples, FL, a creative workshop with artist-in-residence Nicole Kelner, and a success story from Vermont. It also highlights an August membership drive to strengthen advocacy for quieter communities.

Airplane cabin noise—mainly from engines—can cause discomfort and potentially harm hearing, even at levels considered safe. Prolonged exposure may lead to fatigue and health issues. Experts recommend using earplugs or noise-canceling headphones and choosing seats away from the engines to reduce impact.

The article details the City of Knoxville’s noise camera pilot program which discovered that excessive car noise was often violating the city’s noise ordinance.

This Quiet Communities newsletter launches the first “Bid for Quiet” fundraising auction and invites new members, celebrates Howard County, Maryland’s first-in-state AGZA Green Zone® park certification, and promotes member-only events on noise law and ordinances.

This Quiet Communities newsletter highlights a major milestone as Los Angeles Unified School District achieves AGZA Green Zone certification across 800+ campuses, eliminating fossil fuel-powered landscaping equipment.

A Quiet Communities member event. We were joined by Dr. Michael Osborne, a preventive and nuclear cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Osborne's research focuses on understanding how chronic stress—including high levels of noise exposure—affects the body and contributes to heart disease.

This Quiet Communities newsletter celebrates LAUSD’s landmark move to fossil fuel‑free, AGZA Green Zone–certified landscaping across more than 800 campuses, creating quieter, cleaner school environments and a national model. It also highlights upcoming events for International Noise Awareness Day, a film screening and author talk on noise, new resources like Ear Peace Foundation’s children’s book on hearing protection and aviation noise symposium recordings, survey results showing gas-powered leaf blowers as a top concern, member programming on noise and heart health, and recent advocacy and media work on airport and gun range noise.

The article by Allyson Chiu highlights the environmental and health issues associated with gas-powered leaf blowers, including noise pollution, toxic emissions, and habitat disruption. Gas leaf blowers emit significant amounts of pollutants and carbon emissions, contributing to climate change, while their noise can affect human health and wildlife. Many U.S. cities are banning or limiting their use in favor of quieter and cleaner electric alternatives.

The blog shares widespread community frustration over noisy vehicles and highlights support for automated noise enforcement. While residents and leaders see the need for action, legal and political barriers remain. The author urges citizens to advocate for stronger noise control measures.

The Quiet Communities newsletter introduces a hyperlocal campaign to raise awareness about noise pollution and its health impacts, particularly from gas leaf blowers. It highlights upcoming events and initiatives focused on addressing noise issues and encourages community participation by posting flyers. The organization aims to promote quiet as a valuable resource and improve public health.

This study on landscapers' occupational exposures found significant overexposure to noise and respirable crystalline silica (RCS), especially during hardscaping tasks, despite existing engineering controls. Eighty workers at varied sites were monitored, showing noise levels frequently exceeding safety limits, while CO levels remained safe. Fuel-powered tools produced more noise and CO compared to battery-powered versions. Engineering controls could reduce RCS exposure, but additional protection might be necessary.

The research by Barbara M. Alexander and colleagues examines landscapers' exposure to noise, carbon monoxide, respirable dust, and respirable crystalline silica across 11 worksites. Most workers faced noise levels above safe limits, especially with fuel-powered tools versus battery-powered ones. Although CO overexposure was not observed, RCS overexposure was common in hardscaping tasks. The study emphasizes the need for engineering controls and protective measures to reduce these occupational risks.

This QC Close-Up conversation explored how a Florida community is tackling noise and pollution from illegal modified mufflers. Our guests, Quiet Streets Program Chair and registered nurse Mary Tatigian and Lt. Dave Bruening from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, shared the steps their community is taking to address harmful noise.

The blog discusses how loud cars and motorcycles create significant health and quality-of-life problems in St. Paul. The author argues that traditional noise enforcement is ineffective and suggests using automated noise cameras—already used in other cities—to ticket noisy vehicles, urging local leaders and residents to consider this solution.

The Quiet Communities newsletter showcases achievements from 2024, such as winning two HHS Environmental Justice awards and transitioning 820 institutions to electric equipment. It emphasizes combating noise pollution, encourages community engagement and membership growth, and highlights successful local initiatives.

The article by Laura Fenton provides tips for reducing noise in apartments with input from experts like Arline Bronzaft. She advises addressing noise issues with neighbors politely and directly.

The article highlights the struggles of a community on Hano Road, Louisiana, which faces persistent noise pollution due to frequent gravel and garbage truck traffic, mainly active between 1 a.m. and 5 p.m. This issue reflects a broader national problem, as the federal Office of Noise Abatement and Control has been defunct for four decades, leaving noise regulation largely to local governments.

Pennsylvania State Representative Jared Solomon introduced House Bill 2556 to combat vehicle noise pollution. The bill proposes banning the sale of devices that increase exhaust noise and penalizing violators with fines and potential jail time.