Low decibels = green?

When people talk green, they usually are referring to alternative energy, sustainability, but never about noise pollution.  I feel that too much man-made stuff is noisey.  Besides the devil incarnate, the leaf blower, there are quite a few other noisey items in our households..

[in no particular order]

1) lawn mower

2) vaccuum cleaner

3) dishwasher

4) washer/dryer

5) blender

6) computers

7) vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses) ...ok not too many people have buses in their households :)

8) tools (drills, saws)

Have any companies addressed these noisey items?  I keep saying if I invent the quiet leaf blower, I'll be a billionaire!

I do know there are companies focusing on quiet computers, such as www.quietpc.com which sells all sorts of quiet components and audio dampening materials.

Kirk

I actually think it's a little funny that you have vehicles on the list given Teej's post from yesterday about the article in Wired.  You would think that reduced noise pollution would be good!  But apparently some people have issues with electric and hybrid vehicles being TOO quiet.

As for the other stuff..you're right.  It's amazing the level of noise we get used to.  I feel like in the US people are bombarded with sound everywhere they go.  I don't think I've ever been in a store that isn't playing music.

I've got an electric lawnmower.  It's much quieter than a gas-powered mower, though certainly makes it's share of noise.

Funny you should mention leafblowers.  My father-in-law (retired engineer) actually had an idea for a quiet leafblower.  Seems like he's not actually going to go through and try to build it though, which is unfortunate.

Black & Decker (and probably other companies) do make electric leaf blowers. I've never used one, but I assume it would be somewhat quieter, but not silent (just like electric lawnmowers).

My cousin has an all-electric landscaping service (including electric pick up trucks). He has mowers, blowers, edgers, weed eaters, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and who knows what else.

Good point spyboy.  While noise pollution doesn't pose the same impending doom that global warming, and polluting our waters does, it definitely affects the quality of our lives and our sanity.  I am all for quieter stuff, particularly when its loud enough to annoy others.  Personally I don't mind blenders too much, or any noise that I make that stays in my house, but I can definitely do without my early rising neibors' leaf blowers and lawnmowers!

From www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/215/1/Noise-pollution.html

• Birds in a city need to call longer and louder than their country counterparts
• Birds that rely on hearing to help locate prey are seriously disadvantaged by anthropogenic (human) noise
• Noise disturbs feeding and breeding patterns of some animals and has been identified as a contributing factor of the extinction of some species. 
• Aircraft noise and sonic booms have been implicated as a cause of lowered reproduction in a variety of animals.
• Military sonar has been responsible for the deaths of possibly thousands of dolphins and whales. Even outboard motor noise can confuse some whales and dolphins
• In dairy cows, excessive noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release
• Noise causes increased incidence of miscarriages in caribou
• Intense noise can affect growth of chickens and egg production
• Canaries can suffer hearing damage at relatively low decibel levels if the noise is sustained
• Noise has also been showing to have a detrimental effect on the growth of some plants.

So yeah, excessive noise can be an environmental issue...