Some trends fade quickly because a new, stronger trend has inadvertently entered the scene. Last year there was a visible trend in Spain pointing to noise pollution. Unfortunately, the trend was very short-lived for two of two reasons.

The first reason is due to the construction and real estate sector facing a decline. Since then, a certain company that sold “silent bricks” left the scene too soon. The noise that is inherent to the quality of the construction of the buildings is one of the problems. New projects are built with these better quality bricks. If you live in a house that is about 10 years old, it is quite normal that you can literally hear what your neighbors are talking about. But the silent brick trend has been gone for a while.

The other trend was made obsolete by the new environmental policies that are becoming popular. Air conditioners (especially Fujitsu) marketed their air conditioners in a completely silent environment. Today this space has been reclaimed by cheap, energy-saving air conditioners. Silence is no longer an issue.

However, noise is one of the social problems in Spain. I like Spain and Spanish society for being expressive and open. The flip side is the amount of noise that society itself produces. Just visit a public school in Spain during recess and you’ll know what I mean. A better indication cannot be given that awareness is not yet a priority: schools are where people need to learn and change.

There is very little awareness of this problem. But new initiatives continue to attract attention, as Bayer does by linking excessive noise to health problems:
“Bayer’s Spanish subsidiary has launched a campaign to reduce noise pollution. The Internet-based initiative was developed by Bayer experts in collaboration with specialists from Spanish universities and health authorities.” ([http://www.bayer.com/en/spain.aspx])

Also, the growth of cities and towns has made the problem more real. The construction of houses, apartments and shopping centers along the highway is no exception. However, this has not given rise to the demand to isolate the road with sound barriers. And that, again, due to a new trend: the economic recession in Spain. The Spanish unemployment rate is growing faster than any other European country at the moment. Noise pollution just has to wait for better times to be controlled.

HJB