The modern world needs to shut up.

Every weekday I walk to work along one of my city’s streets, and I’ve given up trying to listen to my mp3 player. I mouth frustrated obscenities at the roaring cars and replay scenes from I Am Legend in my head. I wish they would just stop. Yet it’s this wearisome racket that could help meet our future energy demands.

Question – what is noise? Energy, in the form of waves of pressure? No, that’s sound. Defining noise requires that damning, planet-ruining word “useless.” Unwanted, irritating and seemingly unavoidable, as a by-product of everything mechanical we are beholden to. We make the skies roar, the ground tremble, and we drown out the rhythms of the natural world until the biophony (of which we are a part) is in total confusion. It’s the human race’s noisy, angsty teenage years, and we’re turning it up to 11.

How can we fix this? “Stop at source” seems logical, but we live in a world so attuned to noise that electric car manufacturers are forced to add artificial engine sounds for safety reasons. So what do we do instead? We hide from it, soundproofing ourselves into happy ignorance or diverting it so it’s somebody else’s problem. Fingers in ears, lalalalala.

Luckily, there are signs it’s just a phase we’re going through.

The next generation of acoustic engineers are working hard to turn this acoustic nuisance into a power source. Enter the SONEA, a 7kg box you stick on your noisiest outside wall. Every single decibel of vibrating air smacking into it will generate 30 Watts of power (or so the designers claim) – just enough to keep the average CFL burning.  But just think what an array of them will do. An array facing the main runway at Heathrow Airport, or slung under a bridge on North America’s busiest highway. Even if the technology falls short right now, the potential is staggering.

But we’re not done. Why not help solve the fuel crisis as well? As New Scientist reports, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a way to turn noise into an electrical charge that can break up water into oxygen and hydrogen. At 18% efficiency it’s a step up from existing piezoelectric (pressure-generated electric) technology – and it creates hydrogen fuel from water, or “a free lunch” in the words of the team’s lead researcher.

Just how far away are we from sound-harvesting architecture? Concept designs are already tweeting their way across the Internet, such as the Urban Transducer skyscraper with its frequency-tuning panels that hunt down the noisiest Hertz. Are we seeing the start of a whole new form of alternative energy gathering? Imagine a production line of energy collectors, with acoustic technology transforming the eco-friendly whump-whump of a wind turbine into even more juice.

It all sounds good from where I’m standing – with my fingers in my ears.

Images: nrbelex and Yanko Design.

The post Good Vibrations: the Power in Pandemonium appeared first on EcoSalon.

A good night’s sleep allows us to tackle things with a clear head, more confidence, and in my case, more patience. Whether it’s writing a story lede, maintaining my running pace, or sitting in traffic, having seven hours of recharge under my belt makes my days run more smoothly. While some attempts at slumber cannot be controlled (like my husband’s snoring) there are ways to get in the groove that don’t involve counting sheep.

According to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety, depression and stress add to insomnia and the quality of your night’s sleep. Here are some tried and true tips to prepare for, and enjoy much needed down time:

• Set an internal time clock
  Humans like routine; it’s comforting and the inner time clock can help regulate your sleep pattern. Try heading to bed at the same time every night. Pick up a book that you’ve been meaning to get around to and treat yourself to 15 minutes before turning the lights out.
• Develop a bedtime routine
  Try a few minutes of meditation, quiet music or simple yoga stretches.
• Curb the caffeine
  Ban coffee, tea and soda with caffeine from four o’clock. Look for calming non-caffeine choices.
• Create an inviting sleep environment
  Quiet, dark, and relaxing. If you have noisy neighbors or are surrounded by city buses and trains, try a white noise machine, relaxation music (I like Celtic Bells)  ear plugs, heavy curtains, or those sleep shades ala “I Love Lucy.”
• Increase your thread count
  Splurge for a set of good quality sheets, or at least a pillow case. The smooth, silky cotton will feel wonderful.
• Clear the air
  Considering that you’ll be breathing in the room’s air for seven to eight hours, be mindful of the quality, especially if you’re prone to dust and mold allergies. Try a HEPA filter.
• Go essential
  Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils in aromatherapy due to its calming effect. Try a few drops on your pillow.
• Grandma Jeannie’s head-to-toe technique
  My late grandmother would visualize calming her body beginning with her toes, and work her way up to the top of her head, taking a few seconds to address each area. It really worked!
• Wetter is better
  Treat yourself to a warm bath or shower, which will calm your muscles and help wind you down.
• Uber high tech
  Remember stumbling across technical journals that put you to sleep? Now’s the time to start collecting them and putting them to good use!

Image: quinn.anya

The post 10 Tips for a Getting Some Serious Shut-Eye appeared first on EcoSalon.