This YouTube video may seem entertaining to some people, but it is no laughing matter:
Beyond annoyance — noise can drive people to make irrational, impulsive decisions and behave aggressively.
Noise Triggers A Stress Response
Elevated and persistent noise activates the body’s fight-or-flight system. Cortisol and adrenaline rise, heart rate increases, and the brain shifts into threat mode. Constant noise exposure also can degrade attention span, memory and problem-solving. Unwanted noise can also diminish cognitive abilities and create uncharacteristic emotions and behavior.
Workers especially should wear hearing protection when operating any type of power equipment.Achieving meaningful noise reduction was a primary driver the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) was formed. Formally using handheld, backpack, and wheeled gas-powered leaf blowers, I experienced many intense encounters with noise-frustrated residents — similar to the confrontation shown in the YouTube video that ultimately led to an arrest. Understanding this issue from both perspectives is essential if communities hope to arrive at reasonable and lasting compromises.
It remains unclear whether the leaf blower involved in the video was gas or electric-powered. Some individuals report sensitivity to noise from either source. However, electric leaf blowers are demonstrably superior when it comes to noise reduction, particularly for people experiencing the sound from indoors at home or in the workplace. For many communities, quieter equipment can mean the difference between everyday peace and unnecessary conflict.
Today, AGZA works alongside industry partners, noise-impacted community groups, municipalities, academic institutions, botanic gardens, and evolving corporations to help implement quieter land-care operations while maintaining profitability in intensive, daily landscape maintenance services. AGZA certification programs also deliver measurable reductions in air pollution and contribute to healthier working conditions for landscape professionals, as well as improved quality of life for neighborhoods across the country.
Editorial by Dan Mabe
Founder & President, American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA)
www.agza.net
Citation
Applied Sciences (MDPI), Environmental Noise Exposure and Cognitive Performance, 2024. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/7/2699
Principal CEO at Gardenland Power Equipment & Co-Founder and CEO of Towa Industries Inc.
Roger Phelps joined STIHL Inc. in 2001 and is currently the Corporate Communications Manager. In that position he is responsible for creating and telling the STIHL story through integrated event marketing, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and digital and social media with the goal of increasing the visibility of and affinity for the STIHL brand and over 10,000 STIHL dealers. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served 10 years in the U.S. Navy attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He has serves on the National Association of Landscape Professionals Foundation Board of Directors, the National Association of State Park Directors Leadership School Board of Regents, and the Professional Grounds Management Society Board of Directors.
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