European Union Insanity Regarding Noise

[clayj]

What is wrong with the European Union? (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2005071111400002303941&dt=20050711114000&w=RTR&coview=)

Be careful, Europe, you're supposed to be the sophisticated ones... already no smoking in Europe, and soon no talking and no drinking.*

* Apologies to the brilliant Eddie Izzard.

[skunk]

What is wrong with the European Union?Could you repeat that? The ambient noise over here is deafening....

[clayj]

Could you repeat that? The ambient noise over here is deafening....APPARENTLY YOU'RE ALL TOO LOUD! (Especially the French...)

[Xtremehkr]

I've lived in crowded cities, the noise is annoying. I don't see a problem with at least trying to reduce noise pollution. It all depends on how they go about it, I don't think anyone is trying to ban noise.

You can get a ticket here in most states for having a stereo system that is too loud.

[clayj]

I've lived in crowded cities, the noise is annoying. I don't see a problem with at least trying to reduce noise pollution. It all depends on how they go about it, I don't think anyone is trying to ban noise.

You can get a ticket here in most states for having a stereo system that is too loud.Part of the article:

The rules require states to draw maps that track the level of noise from cars, planes, machinery and other sources in areas inhabited by more than 100,000 people. Busy intersections or traffic networks are also targeted.OK, I can see where trying to get people to turn their stereos down is one thing, but this paragraph makes it sound like they're trying to ban or limit cars and airplanes. What are you going to do, eliminate the roads, or put in place some sort of car limits like they have in London? What about the airport? Are they going to move it?

All I'm saying is that this sounds like a bunch of whiners who moved into a house underneath the local airport's landing pattern and THEN started complaining about the noise. (This has happened here in North Carolina.) Even the US Constitution doesn't include a guarantee of noiselessness.

[mactastic]

You'd be surprised at the number of rules relating to noise we have in this country I think. We just had a noise abatement study done for an apartment complex my boss is building. There are very strict dB levels which must be maintained in order to comply with existing regulations.

[Xtremehkr]

Once a country starts to fill up you have very little choice about where you can up and move too.

I thought I was pretty well settled in California, I had a house less than a mile from the beach and was comfortable.

But I got tired of the overcrowding, noise and general congestion. Whenever I left the neighborhood it was like stepping onto a freeway.

Phoenix is similar to CA in a lot of ways but it is not that crowded yet. I can do everything here that I could do there, without the noise pollution and congestion. To me, that alone is an lifestyle improvement. Not to mention the difference in real estate prices out here. I also like that Phoenix is planning its infrastructure based upon the mistakes LA made and that is probably going to relieve some of the problems.

I don't know how familiar you are with that kind of congestion though, NC may not experience that for quite some time. But once you live in that environment for a while, finding a reasonable solution to the problem is not all that outrageous.

You never know, there might be some really innovative solutions. Just putting up walls to contain freeway noise makes a huge difference.

[miloblithe]

All I'm saying is that this sounds like a bunch of whiners who moved into a house underneath the local airport's landing pattern and THEN started complaining about the noise. (This has happened here in North Carolina.) Even the US Constitution doesn't include a guarantee of noiselessness.

Like Mactastic said, every country has noise regulations. I think this has more to do with standards for how much noise each vehicle can produce. I remeber reading that Russian airliners, for example, don't meet the EU's standards for noise polution. Here's a bit from an article I found:

Noise reduction sanctions at international airports were introduced several decades ago and had to do with a dramatic increase in aircraft carrying capacity. It seemed that the size of airplanes would keep growing to infinity, as would the aural stress on people living near airports.
Noise-reduction modernization of an aircraft engine comes at a price: on average $100,000 per engine or approximately $1 million for four engines. Such giants as Boeing and General Electric have to spend between $1 billion and $2 billion a year on engine modernization alone.

At present the noise reduction convention exempts only two new-generation Russian airliners, Tu-204 and Il-96-300 (there are 10 to 12 such machines in the whole of Russia), as well as Tu-154m passenger jets with modernized engines (30 to 50). The rest of the RF aviation fleet does not meet the new standards.

Moscow News (http://english.mn.ru/english/issue.php?2002-7-6)

So, it's not like the EU is alone in doing this. The US has standards for its airports as well.

[Ugg]

I also like that Phoenix is planning its infrastructure based upon the mistakes LA made and that is probably going to relieve some of the problems.

.

It's a little too late for Phoenix, isn't it?

I had an engineer friend who worked for Boeing in Seattle, his specialty was aircraft noise abatement. Despite having a noise abatement problem, Boeing fought every attempt to limit aircraft noise in the US and abroad. He said that the Europeans were years ahead in not only abatement but also regulation.

Night flights are severely limited on much of the continent. It makes sense when you consider the density of most countries. Look at any airport planning expansion in the US and you'll find a massive protest from those who live nearby. It makes much more sense to regulate it on the federal level than on the local level, it's a lot cheaper in the long run.

I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, but there is a kid a few houses down who has a souped up and EXTREMELY noisy late 70s BMW. It destroys the peace and quiet of the neighborhood and I would greatly welcome federal noise restrictions on automobiles and Harleys. The world's too crazy the way it is without inflicting damage on our ears and peace of mind.

[Applespider]

All I'm saying is that this sounds like a bunch of whiners who moved into a house underneath the local airport's landing pattern and THEN started complaining about the noise. (This has happened here in North Carolina.)

There are many people who bought houses near small airports/airfields when there were 20 or so flights a day and they thought they could cope with the noise. Now they're being faced with planes landing every 3-5 minutes and it going on from 5am until midnight... I think I'd be campaigning for quieter planes too!