Costing the Earth

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Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet

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Costing the Earth: Silencing with Noise

Silencing with Noise

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth, Silencing with Noise

How is the rising tide of man-made noise affecting our wildlife and what can be done?

On land and underwater, animals use sound to communicate. This is against a rising tide of man-made noise. What happens if you can’t hear or be heard? Can anything be done?

Sound is what the world does.  From the tiniest bugs to the largest whales, animals use sound to communicate, for example,  they sing to attract a mate and establish a territory. But this is all happening against a background of man-made noise that was, until the last few weeks, increasing in volume all the time. So what happens if you can’t hear or make yourself heard or you are too stressed or distracted to behave normally? Andy Radford, Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Bristol explores the impact of this global pollutant and the mitigation measures that could help. 

Producer: Sarah Blunt

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