Letter to the Editor: Airplane Noise

 Environment, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Letter to the Editor: Airplane Noise
Jun 302023
 

To the Editor, Regarding your feature piece in the May/June issue [“Why is There So Much Plane Noise Over Belmont?” BCF Newsletter, May/June 2023], it is good to see attention to the issue. However, the author decided to use valuable print largely to explain simply what is, and not the effects, other than “disturbing” or “too much” noise. Imagine if all that ink was used for describing epidemiological evidence that points to negative health outcomes, instead of rote retelling of recent events and history, easily conveyed with a link or two. People end up in hospitals more often as a [READ MORE]

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Why is There So Much Plane Noise Over Belmont?

 May/June 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Why is There So Much Plane Noise Over Belmont?
Apr 262023
 
Why is There So Much Plane Noise Over Belmont?

By Rachelle Reinhart with contributions from Myron Kassaraba Airplane noise over Belmont increased after major changes were made to air traffic control at Logan Airport  in 2001, when the United States Congress authorized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize air traffic control under a program called NextGen. NextGen moved air traffic control from a radar-based system to a GPS-based area navigation system (RNAV).  RNAV allows aircraft to travel using a computer programmed with precise waypoints—designated flight path transitions—and GPS coordinates to control the plane’s flight path. Before RNAV, air traffic control instructed pilots to make turns and altitude adjustments [READ MORE]

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Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers

 Air Quality, Environment, March/April 2022, Newsletter  Comments Off on Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers
Mar 032022
 
Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers

By Barry Kaye, Dean Hickman, Ruth Smullin, and Thomas Nehrkorn Gasoline-powered leaf blowers are not only a nuisance to anyone trying to enjoy a peaceful time in their backyard or a neighborhood walk, but they also present real risks to human health, most significantly to the operators. These are detailed in previous BCF articles published on this subject (See “Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment,” Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, September/October 2021.) The town is trying to address this issue.  Healthy Lawns Initiative Sustainable Belmont recently started hosting a Healthy Lawns Initiative to promote more environmentally sustainable lawn care practices. Currently, we [READ MORE]

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Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment

 Air Quality, Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment
Aug 232021
 
Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment

By Barry N. Kaye and Brian Kopperl Have you ever been in your backyard on a beautiful day when the noise of the leaf blowers next door was so loud that you could not have a quiet conversation, you were dodging the flying debris, and the smell was enough to make you go indoors? Most of us agree that leaf blowers are annoying, but some of us may not know just how harmful they really are.    Gas-powered leaf blowers typically have noise levels of 80 decibels (dB) or higher, which the Centers for Disease Control states can damage hearing. [READ MORE]

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Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health

 Air Quality, Environment, July-August 2020, Newsletter, Plants  Comments Off on Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health
Jun 302020
 
Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health

By Ian L. Todreas Each spring and fall, dozens of landscaping companies dispatch teams to yards throughout Belmont to cut, trim, mow, rake, and blow hedges, bushes, lawns, and beds into coffee-table-magazine standard perfection. But at what cost? These services are not inexpensive. Moreover, their hidden costs are significant. Gasoline-powered lawn equipment, such as leaf blowers, lawnmowers, weed whackers, and hedge trimmers, are notorious for emitting proportionally vast amounts of pollution—and making a heck of a lot of noise. Leaf blowers, in particular, deserve a close look. Unlike many other gasoline-powered lawn tools, for the amount of time they are [READ MORE]

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