Noise In The News: Weekly Round-Up

by Quiet Communities Staff

Photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio

NYC pilots quieter, electric food carts

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice has just launched a six-month pilot swapping diesel generators for rechargeable electric batteries in 10 Queens food carts. It’s a trial run for a potential citywide program: roughly 20,500 carts currently run on loud diesel units, and city officials say going electric could mean quieter streets, cleaner air, and better working conditions for vendors who stand next to those generators all day. 

Australian man named world’s loudest person

Australian town crier Joseph McGrail-Bateup just set a Guinness World Record for the loudest shout. His voice reached 122.4 decibels, about as loud as a jet taking off. It’s a fun record to hold, but it’s also a useful reference point: sustained exposure anywhere near that range can cause real, lasting damage to hearing and health. Lucky for us, he set the record clear across the world in Canberra, where we can’t hear him. And while the town is likely proud to claim him as their honorary crier, his neighbors may feel differently.