Noise In The News: Weekly Round-Up

by Quiet Communities Staff

Photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio

Home Depot installs noise machines to deter laborers

A Home Depot in Los Angeles has installed three high-pitched noise emitting machines outside the store to deter day laborers from seeking work there. The machines were installed just days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid, according to leaders at advocacy organization The Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California. The machines cause headaches and nausea, with one worker — who wore earplugs to block the noise — claiming it “penetrated” his bones nonetheless.

Snow brings quiet in Kentucky

Kentucky news station WKYT answered a question from a listener who asked, “Why is it always ‘snow quiet’ when it snows or when the ground has a snow blanket on it?” The news station said university research has found that just a couple inches of snow can absorb around 60% of sound, and sounds travel slower in colder weather. Plus, air can get trapped between the hollow areas in a snowflake, acting as a sound dampener, WKYT said.

Quieter home? Better value

Homes built near sound barriers that block out freeway noise saw a 6.8% price increase after the walls were built, a Wall Street Journal reporter found. However, the barrier’s effect on property value decreased with distance. If traffic noise reduces property values about $110 billion nationally, as the researchers say, the study proves buyers are willing to pay more for homes in quieter areas.