Manufacturing CD and MP3 players, radios, TV sets and all the rest of modern sound technology is big business, but there is just as much money to be made from fighting noise: noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs and white-noise CDs all sell well.

The EU has funded more than 450 research studies concerning noise, while the Dutch government alone has allocated 110 million Euro for research into measures which would reduce traffic noise.

Some of the measures - such as banning noisy tyres - would cost nothing. So why aren't they being implemented everywhere?

Constant low-level noise such as that produced by most PCs can also have significant effect on our health and productivity. But how can you tell if the PC you are buying is quiet? Enter a Swedish neurologist with an ingenious solution.

And can the new Airbus A380 prove to be a winner in the competitive aircraft market precisely because it's a lot quieter than its competitors?

Listen again
	Noise is big business

External links
The CALM Network
The Silent PC
Noise Pollution Clearing House
United Nations System-Wide Earthwatch
WHO report on occupational noise

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