Do you hear that? Do you know what that is? Silence. The sound of silence. Simon and Garfunkel wrote a song about it. But silence is a pretty rare commodity these days, and we're all paying a price for it in terms of our health -- a surprisingly big price, as it turns out. Luckily, there are things we can do right now, both individually and as a society, to better protect our health and give us more of the benefits of the sounds of silence.
Čujete li? Znate li šta je to? Tišina. Zvuk tišine. Sajmon i Garfankl su napisali pesmu na tu temu. Tišina je veoma retka privilegija ovih dana, i svi mi plaćamo ceh za to, kroz naše zdravlje. Iznenađujuće visoku cenu, kako se ispostavilo. Srećom, još postoje stvari koje možemo da uradimo, kako pojedinačno tako i kao društvo, u cilju bolje zaštite našeg zdravlja, i kako bismo izvukli više dobrobiti iz zvuka tišine.
I assume that most of you know that too much noise is bad for your hearing. Whenever you leave a concert or a bar and you have that ringing in your ears, you can be certain that you have done some damage to your hearing, likely permanent. And that's very important. However, noise affects our health in many different ways beyond hearing. They're less well-known, but they're just as dangerous as the auditory effects.
Pretpostavljam da većina vas zna da je prevelika buka štetna za vaš sluh. Kad god napustite koncert ili bar i imate ono zujanje u ušima, možete biti sigurni da ste naštetili svom sluhu, verovatno trajno. A to je veoma značajno. Međutim, buka utiče na vaše zdravlje na mnoge načine koji prevazilaze sluh. Oni su manje poznati, ali jednako opasni kao i zvučni efekti.
So what do we mean when we talk about noise? Well, noise is defined as unwanted sound, and as such, both has a physical component, the sound, and a psychological component, the circumstances that make the sound unwanted. A very good example is a rock concert. A person attending the rock concert, being exposed to 100 decibels, does not think of the music as noise. This person likes the band, and even paid a hundred dollars for the ticket, so no matter how loud the music, this person doesn't think of it as noise. In contrast, think of a person living three blocks away from the concert hall. That person is trying to read a book, but cannot concentrate because of the music. And although the sound pressure levels are much lower in this situation, this person still thinks of the music as noise, and it may trigger reactions that can, in the long run, have health consequences.
Šta podrazumevamo pod bukom? Buka je definisana kao neželjeni zvuk, i kao takav ima fizičku komponentu - zvuk, i psihološku komponentu - okolnosti koje zvuk čine nepoželjnim. Veoma dobar primer je rok koncert. Osoba koja prisustvuje rok koncertu izložena jačini zvuka od 100 decibela ne smatra muziku bukom. Ova osoba voli grupu, čak je platila sto dolara za kartu, i bez obzira koliko je glasna muzika, ova osoba je ne smatra bukom. Suprotno tome misli osoba koja živi tri bloka od koncertne dvorane. Ova osoba pokušava da čita knjigu, ali ne može da se koncentriše zbog muzike. Iako je nivo zvuka mnogo manji u ovom slučaju, ova osoba je ipak smatra bukom, što može izazvati reakcije koje dugoročno mogu imati posledice po zdravlje.
So why are quiet spaces so important? Because noise affects our health in so many ways beyond hearing. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find quiet spaces in times of constantly increasing traffic, growing urbanization, construction sites, air-conditioning units, leaf blowers, lawnmowers, outdoor concerts and bars, personal music players, and your neighbors partying until 3am. Whew!
Zbog čega su mirni prostori toliko važni? Zato što buka utiče na naše zdravlje na načine koji prevazilaze samo sluh. Međutim, postaje jako teško pronaći mirno mesto u vremenu stalnog povećanja saobraćaja, urbanizacije, gradilišta, klima-uređaja, duvača za lišće, kosilica, koncerata na otvorenom, barova, ličnih muzičkih uređaja, i vaših komšija koji prave žurke do tri sata ujutro. Huh!
In 2011, the World Health Organization estimated that 1.6 million healthy life years are lost every year due to exposure to environmental noise in the Western European member states alone. One important effect of noise is that it disturbs communication. You may have to raise your voice to be understood. In extreme cases, you may even have to pause the conversation. It's also more likely to be misunderstood in a noisy environment. These are all likely reasons why studies have found that children who attend schools in noisy areas are more likely to lag behind their peers in academic performance.
Godine 2011, Svetska zdravstvena organizacija je procenila da svake godine više od 1,6 miliona zdravih ljudi umre zbog izloženosti buci iz okoline samo u zemljama Zapadne Evrope. Jedan od važnih efekata buke je da ona ometa komunikaciju. Morate da povisite ton da bi vas razumeli. U ekstremnim slučajevima ćete možda čak morati i da zaustavite razgovor. Takođe je više verovatno da vas pogrešno razumeju u bučnom okruženju. Ovo su sve verovatni razlozi zbog kojih studije ukazuju da deca koja pohađaju školu u bučnim delovima grada imaju veće šanse da zaostaju u svojim akademskim sposobnostima.
Another very important health effect of noise is the increased risk for cardiovascular disease in those who are exposed to relevant noise levels for prolonged periods of time. Noise is stress, especially if we have little or no control over it. Our body excretes stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that lead to changes in the composition of our blood and in the structure of our blood vessels, which have been shown to be stiffer after a single night of noise exposure. Epidemiological studies show associations between the noise exposure and an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke, and although the overall risk increases are relatively small, this still constitutes a major public health problem because noise is so ubiquitous, and so many people are exposed to relevant noise levels. A recent study found that US society could save 3.9 billion dollars each year by lowering environmental noise exposure by five decibels, just by saving costs for treating cardiovascular disease. There are other diseases like cancer, diabetes and obesity that have been linked to noise exposure, but we do not have enough evidence yet to, in fact, conclude that these diseases are caused by the noise.
Još jedan veoma značajan zdravstveni efekat buke je povećan rizik od kardiovaskularnih bolesti kod onih koji su izloženi određenim nivoima buke duži vremenski period. Buka je stres, pogotovo ako imamo malo ili nimalo uticaja na nju. Naše telo luči hormone stresa kao što su adrenalin ili kortizol koji dovode do promena u sastavu naše krvi i strukture naših krvnih žila, koje, kako se pokazalo, postaju kruće samo posle jedne noći izložene buci. Epidemiološke studije pokazuju povezanost između izloženosti buci i povećanog rizika od visokog krvnog pritiska, srčanog udara i šloga. Uprkos tome što je sveukupno povećanje rizika relativno malo, ovo i dalje predstavlja veliki zdravstveni problem društva zato što je buka tako sveprisutna, i toliko ljudi je izloženo nekom nivou buke. Nedavne studije su pokazale da bi američko društvo svake godine moglo da uštedi 3,9 milijardi dolara snižavanjem buke iz okoline za pet decibela, samo na uštedama od lečenja kardiovaskularnih oboljenja. Postoje i druge bolesti kao što su rak, dijabetis i gojaznost koje se povezuju sa izloženošću buci, ali za to još uvek nemamo dovoljno dokaza da bismo zaključili da je buka uzrok ovih bolesti.
Yet another important effect of noise is sleep disturbance. Sleep is a very active mechanism that recuperates us and prepares us for the next wake period. A quiet bedroom is a cornerstone of what sleep researchers call "a good sleep hygiene." And our auditory system has a watchman function. It's constantly monitoring our environment for threats, even while we're sleeping. So noise in the bedroom can cause a delay in the time it takes us to fall asleep, it can wake us up during the night, and it can prevent our blood pressure from going down during the night. We have the hypothesis that if these noise-induced sleep disturbances continue for months and years, then an increased risk for cardiovascular disease is likely the consequence. However, we are often not aware of these noise-induced sleep disturbances, because we are unconscious while we're sleeping. In the past, we've done studies on the effects of traffic noise on sleep, and research subjects would often wake up in the morning and say, "Ah, I had a wonderful night, I fell asleep right away, never really woke up." When we would go back to the physiological signals we had recorded during the night, we would often see numerous awakenings and a severely fragmented sleep structure. These awakenings were too brief for the subjects to regain consciousness and to remember them during the next morning, but they may nevertheless have a profound impact on how restful our sleep is.
Još jedan važan efekat buke je poremećaj sna. San je veoma aktivni mehanizam koji nas oporavlja i priprema za naredni budan period. Tiha spavaća soba je kamen temeljac za ono što istraživači sna zovu „dobra higijena sna”. A naš slušni sistem ima funkciju čuvara. On konstantno kontroliše našu okolinu tražeći pretnje, čak i dok spavamo. Buka u spavaćoj sobi može produžiti vreme potrebno da bismo zaspali, može nas buditi u toku noći, i može sprečiti snižavanje našeg krvnog pritiska tokom noći. Imamo hipotezu da, ako ovi poremećaji sna uzrokovani bukom traju mesecima ili godinama, onda je povećan rizik od kardiovaskularnih oboljenja verovatna posledica toga. Međutim, često nismo svesni ovih poremećaja sna uzrokovanih bukom, zato što nismo svesni dok spavamo. U prošlosti smo radili studije o uticaju saobraćajne buke na san, gde bi se subjekti istraživanja često budili ujutro govoreći: „Ah, imao sam divnu noć. Odmah sam zaspao, i nisam se budio.” Ali kada bismo pogledali fiziološke aktivnosti koje smo snimali tokom noći, često bismo videli brojna buđenja i izuzetno iscepkanu strukturu sna. Ova buđenja su bila suviše kratka da bi subjekt postao svestan i setio ih se narednog jutra, ali ona svakako imaju uticaj na to koliko je nemiran naš san.
So when is loud too loud? A good sign of too loud is once you start changing your behavior. You may have to raise your voice to be understood, or you increase the volume of your TV. You're avoiding outside areas, or you're closing your window. You're moving your bedroom to the basement of the house, or you even have sound insulation installed. Many people will move away to less noisy areas, but obviously not everybody can afford that.
Dakle, kad je glasno - preglasno? Dobar signal za preglasno je kada počnete menjati svoje ponašanje. Možda morate da povisujete glas da bi vas razumeli, ili pojačavate televizor. Izbegavate vanjski prostor ili zatvarate svoj prozor. Selite spavaću sobu u podrum svoje kuće, ili čak stavljate zvučnu izolaciju. Mnogi ljudi se sele u manje bučne oblasti, ali očigledno, ne mogu svi to priuštiti.
So what can we do right now to improve our sound environment and to better protect our health? Well, first of all, if something's too loud, speak up. For example, many owners of movie theaters seem to think that only people hard of hearing are still going to the movies. If you complain about the noise and nothing happens, demand a refund and leave. That's the language that managers typically do understand. Also, talk to your children about the health effects of noise and that listening to loud music today will have consequences when they're older. You can also move your bedroom to the quiet side of the house, where your own building shields you from road traffic noise. If you're looking to rent or buy a new place, make low noise a priority. Visit the property during different times of the day and talk to the neighbors about noise. You can wear noise-canceling headphones when you're traveling or if your office has high background noise levels. In general, seek out quiet spaces, especially on the weekend or when you're on vacation. Allow your system to wind down.
Šta možemo trenutno da uradimo da bismo poboljšali naše zvučno okruženje i da bismo bolje zaštitili naše zdravlje? Pre svega, ako je nešto preglasno - ukažite na to. Na primer, mnogi vlasnici bioskopa izgleda misle da samo ljudi sa oštećenim sluhom i dalje idu u bioskope. Ako se žalite zbog buke, a ništa se ne promeni, zatražite da vam vrate pare i napustite salu. To je jezik koji menadžeri obično razumeju. Takođe, pričajte sa decom o efekatima koje buka ima na zdravlje, da će to što danas slušaju glasnu muziku imati posledice kad budu stariji. Možete takođe premestiti spavaću sobu u tišu stranu kuće, kako bi vas sama zgrada štitila od saobraćajne buke. Ako tražite da iznajmite ili kupite nekretninu, neka vam niska buka bude prioritet. Posetite nekretninu u različito doba dana i pitajte komšije za buku. Kada putujete, možete nositi slušalice koje štite od buke ili u vašoj kancelariji ako ima visok nivo buke. U suštini, tražite mirna mesta, pogotovo vikendom ili kad ste na odmoru. Dozvolite vašem sistemu da se odmori.
I, very appropriately for this talk, attended a noise conference in Japan four years ago. When I returned to the United States and entered the airport, a wall of sound hit me. This tells you that we don't realize anymore the constant degree of noise pollution we're exposed to and how much we could profit from more quiet spaces.
Ja sam, što je korisno za ovaj razgovor, pre četiri godine u Japanu prisustvovao jednoj konferenciji o buci. Kada sam se vratio u Ameriku i ušao na aerodrom, udario me je zvučni zid. Ovo vam govori da mi više ne primećujemo stalan stepen buke kojoj smo izloženi i koliko bi nam koristili mirniji prostori.
What else can we do about noise? Well, very much like a carbon footprint, we all have a noise footprint, and there are things we can do to make that noise footprint smaller. For example, don't start mowing your lawn at 7am on a Saturday morning. Your neighbors will thank you. Or use a rake instead of a leaf blower. In general, noise reduction at the source makes the most sense, so whenever you're looking to buy a new car, air-conditioning unit, blender, you name it, make low noise a priority. Many manufacturers will list the noise levels their devices generate, and some even advertise with them. Use that information.
Šta još možemo uraditi po pitanju buke? Kao što svi mi imamo ugljenični otisak, tako imamo i otisak buke, a postoje stvari koje možemo da uradimo da bismo ga smanjili. Na primer, nemojte počinjati sa košenjem svog travnjaka nedeljom u 7 sati ujutro. Vaše komšije će vam biti zahvalne. Ili recimo, koristite grabulje umesto duvača za lišće. U suštini, smanjenje buke na samom izvoru je najracionalnije. Znači, kad kupujete nova kola, klima-uređaj, mikser ili bilo šta drugo, niska bučnost bi trebalo da vam bude prioritet. Mnogi proizvođaći će napisati nivo buke koju aparat proizvodi, a neki će to koristiti i kao reklamu. Iskoristite tu informaciju.
Many people think that stronger noise regulation and enforcement are good ideas, even obvious solutions, perhaps, but it's not as easy as you may think, because many of the activities that generate noise also generate revenue. Think about an airport and all the business that is associated with it. Our research tells politicians at what noise level they can expect a certain health effect, and that helps inform better noise policy.
Mnogi smatraju da su strogi propisi i kazne dobra ideja, čak možda i očigledno rešenje. Ali nije to tako lako kao što mislite, zato što mnoge od ovih aktivnosti koje proizvode buku u isto vreme generišu prihod. Razmislite o aerodromu i svim poslovima u vezi sa njim. Naše istraživanje govori političarima koji nivo buke može imati određene posledice za zdravlje kako bi se stvorili bolji zakoni u vezi sa bukom.
Robert Koch supposedly once said, "One day, mankind will fight noise as relentlessly as cholera and the pest." I think we're there, and I hope that we will win this fight, and when we do, we can all have a nice, quiet celebration.
Robert Koh navodno je jednom rekao: „Jednog dana čovečanstvo će se boriti sa bukom kao sa kolerom i štetočinama.” Mislim da je to vreme došlo, i nadam se da ćemo pobediti, a kada pobedimo, možemo to proslaviti u miru.
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Thank you.
Hvala vam.
(Applause)
(Aplauz)