Effects of Population Density in terms of Noise Pollution and Space - Research Paper Example

Effects of Population Density in terms of Noise Pollution and Space Population density can be measured by the “number of people living in an area andusually shown by the number of people per square kilometers.” (“Population Density,” 2008). Population can affect a country’s economic status. Issues regarding the population growth have been a center for discussion in the areas concerning human resource and the environment. The United Nations reported that by the fall of 2009, there were already 6.9 Billion human inhabitants in the world; such a huge number and still is growing that UN expects it to rise for 2.5 billion more in 2050 (UNESCAP, 2010). Consequently, other problems may arise such as imbalance in biodiversity and pollution of different types specifically, noise. Another problem is the continuing scarcity of private and public spaces for individuals to occupy; it seems like a literal interpretation of the phrase “it’s a small world, after all.” Population and Noise Among these, one problem may be very disturbing especially to children: noise. Noise and population are almost relative in many ways. As population increases, a good chance might come for noise pollution to develop, which is alarming. According to Singh and Davar (2004), “noise is becoming an increasingly omnipresent, yet unnoticed form of pollution even in developed countries.” Adverse effects of noise pollution include hypertension, disrupted sleep, and hindrance to cognitive development among children (Singh & Davar, 2004). Noise is defined as any unwanted, irritating or surprising sound (“Noise,” 2009), which means that the definition of noise is highly subjective. Example, a mother may consider rap music as noise (since she does not appreciate rap that much) but her son does not. Sound has different characteristics and measurement that when it went over to the specifications, it becomes “noise.” According to SoundSmart, “the range for normal hearing is generally between 0 and 130 decibels (dBA). An increase of 10 dBA is already doubling our perception of its loudness.” Goines and Hagler pointed out from a WHO report that there are seven effects caused by noise namely: “hearing impairment, interference with spoken communication, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular disturbances, disturbances in mental health, impaired task performance, and negative social behavior and annoyance reactions.” Urban areas, with a greater population compared to the rural, is more prone to noise pollution. Alexander and Barde (1991) argue that the increase of noise pollution may be associated with the continuous development projects, like the ones found in suburbs, and the “mobility during the night.” In a study by Mihăiescu and Odagiu (2007), maximum noise levels came from “traffic, technical quality of vehicle and quality of rural surface or the road situation” in general. With people going in and out of work, school, or any business, it is not a wonder why noise pollution is more prevalent in urban areas. Ways to Mend Noise Pollution Noise is the suspected reason for several psychological problems and cardiovascular diseases, as studied by Weinhold (2002). Of all the possible health risks which can be encountered when there is noise pollution, it is a must to, as much as possible, regulate the measure of decibels one can hear every day. Noise regulation should not only comprise one person but a hand-in-hand help from the different sectors of the society would make a difference. For instance, an ordinance was made to regulate excessive noise. The ordinance would apply strict rules for business establishments to regulate their noise so as not to affect the residents around them (Knowles, 2003). A more personal way would suggest to simply reducing the volume of the television and other home entertainment appliances in a way that it is still enough to be heard. Simple daily routines like mowing the lawn may also contribute to noise pollution. So instead of using machinery to shape up one’s garden, a more traditional way might help to reduce excessive noise. Population and Proxemics Subdivisions, suburbs, and malls are just few indicators of how human knowledge elevated the community. Wooden houses were the simple definition of the term “shelter.” Nowadays, there is a massive change brought by modern engineering and architecture for several private homes, infrastructures and edifices. The need to build buildings and extend land area for subdivision may only mean one thing: population is growing. An imbalance took place in the flora and fauna since most of the land occupied by plants were converted into business spaces. However, this is unavoidable and expected because people need a place to stay, a family needs a home. These issues would consequently cause another problem concerning territory, personal space, and even privacy. Territoriality Territoriality can be defined as the “pattern of boundaries imposed by individual decision or group agreement” (King, 2001). There are three types of territoriality: primary, secondary, and tertiary (Sammons). Primary territory is used exclusively by an individual or group, usually for a long term; example is a family’s house, condo, and the like. Secondary territories are used regularly by individuals but are not exclusive for him. Favorite public spots such as the benches found in parks may exemplify this. Lastly, tertiary territories are the ones where public access is permitted like malls, churches, and others. If nomads before can transfer from one place to another, the homeless nowadays were provided their “own” space so that they would not have to intrude into private properties. In undeveloped countries however, slums are ordinary. Squatting may be the solution for some who do not have the capacity to own a personal space. In the Philippines, squatting is an age-old issue. The main reason why Filipinos flee from the rural areas is the fact that there are less employment opportunities in their place (Worden, 1991). A large percentage of the rural areas where they live from were sold to private companies for business purposes. Because Philippines is an agricultural country, the rise of industrialization and overpopulation is a threat to the country’s economy. Personal Space Personal space is the area surrounding a person which he regards it as her own. It is an approximate area in which other individuals should not intrude so as not to disturb comfort (Gunscht, 2010). Cloud’s (2009) explanation is largely scientific, referring to the part of the brain called “amygdalae” which is responsible for a person’s emotions. This part of the brain also the one that defines to which extent does a personal space is comfortable for a person. Edward Hall created as what he called “personal reaction bubbles” where the different zones of proximity of an individual is defined. However, personal space may vary depending on the cultural background; and because of this, it is very difficult to identify the accurate measurement of one’s personal space. If the population continues to grow and territoriality would be a problem, then there should be effects towards personal space. In a study by Wenner (2009), it has been found out that “personal space” may vary culturally, which heavily depends on the population of the native country a person belongs. “Americans become uncomfortable when in large crowds,” since most of the American communities have the “luxury of personal space.” Someone who is used to live in a spacious environment might find it inconvenient to live in crowded cities such as Manila, Tokyo, or New York. King (2001) quoted that “if personal territory is violated to frequently it can cause severe stress.” Privacy The word “privacy” is very common in terms of legal and social matters. It is the quality of being secluded from public view. It can also be defined as the right of the individual to determine when, how, and to what extent he or she will release personal information (Dickson qtd. in “Privacy”). Privacy is a broad concept ranging from intellectual to territorial privacy; it is the process in which persons can “regulate the exposure of the self to other selves” (Stoker, 2010). It is unnoticeable but privacy can also be at risk in overpopulation. Security cameras, as the newest trend to guard the community, were installed all around the neighborhood or cities so that authorities would be warned for possible criminal activities. Privacy is very important in America, but some are willing to give it up for security reasons. Walking around the city and knowing that there might be some people watching your every move may be a little awkward but if it is a way to safeguard security, then privacy would have to be second on the list. Conclusion Overpopulation is a complex problem for it can cause several problems. Lack of space and various health problems would be the two major problems when overpopulation is present and these problems would actually give birth to several harmful effects. Overpopulation can be controlled; however, it is controversial since there are sectors in the community that oppose the methods in dealing with this problem. The Church, for example, is the leading body which campaigns against unnatural population control methods. On the other hand, the government would do all the possible, legal ways to prevent population explosion. However, the choice would still belong to the people; whether they can afford to oppose the ideals of the religious sector they belong or be responsible for the consequences of overpopulation. References Alexandre, A., & Barde, Jean-Philippe. (1991). Deaf ears on noise pollution? OECD Observer, A (167), 23. Cloud, John. (2009, Sept. 03). Problem with close-talking? Blame the brain. Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1919910,00.html Goines, L., & Hagler, L. (n.d.). Noise pollution: a modern plague: adverse health effects of noise. South Med J, 100. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554566_3 Gunscht, J. (2010, Aug. 02). What is personal space? wiseGEEK. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-personal-space.htm King, S.K. (2001) Territoriality. Retrieved from http://www.huna.org/html/territor.html Knowles, L. (2009, Nov. 03). Warwick drafts policy to regulate ‘excessive’ noise. All Business. Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/ legal/trial-procedure-ordinances/13376355-1.html Mihăiescu, T., & Odagiu A. (2007). Noise pollution in urban areas- case study- Cluj-napoca town. [Abstract]. Retrieved from http://journals.usamvcj.ro/agriculture/article/view/1438 Noise. (2009). In MSN Encarta. Retrieved 2010, Nov. 08 from http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861633464/noise.html Population Density (2008). In Internet Geography. Retrieved from http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/popn1.html Privacy. (1996). In Duheim.org. Retrieved 2010, Nov. 08 from http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/P/Privacy.aspx Sammons, A. Territoriality [Software]. Retrieved from http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/resources/environmental/A2_OCR_env_territory.pdf Singh, N., & Davar, S.C. (2004). Noise pollution-sources, effects and control. Retrieved from http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JHE/ JHE-16-0-000-000-2004-Web/JHE-16-3-151-226-2004-Abst-PDF/ JHE-16-3-181-187-2004-1160-Singh-N/JHE-16-3-181-187-2004-Singh-N.pdf. Sound and Noise. SoundSmart [Computer Software]. Available from http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/projects/soundsmart/booklet/part1_ss_soundNoise.pdf Stoker, C. The effects of population density [blog post]. Retrieved from http://stokercg2913.blogspot.com/2010/07/effects-of-population-density.html UNESCAP. (2010, March 13). 2.5 billion increase in the world population by 2050: United Nation estimates. United Nations ESCAP. Retrieved from http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/population/popheadline/317/art2.asp Weinhold, B. (2002). How earplugs can help your heart: Health effects of noise pollution. Environmental Health Perspective, 110 (3), 151. Wenner, J.M. (2009, Jan. 02). Population growth and resource depletion: Teaching quantitative skills in Geo-sciences. Carelon College. Retrieved from http://serc.carleton.edu/quantskills/methods/quantlit/popgrowth.html Worden, R.L. (1991, June). Philippines: Urban social patterns. Retrieved from http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-10423.html Read More