Sharing Soundscape Awareness & Advocacy
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Dave Cohen
- Brattleboro, VT
- United States
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- Have a Website?
- http://www.davecohencounseling.com
- Ideas on Saving the Soundscape
- I think that it would be great begin thinking about regional or statewide soundscape advocacy groups that bring the message of protecting our sound environments in cities, towns, rural areas, open spaces, and wilderness. For a number of years I've considered starting something I call the Vermont Soundscape Initiative, with the aim of educating, advocacy, and public outreach. Vermont is the perfect place for this because it is a small state with a lot of ecologically aware folks.
Here in Brattleboro, I can see an effort like this becoming a real interesting movement as people are starting to complain about loud cars and motorcycles as the noise level in towns like this are ramping up every year. Vermont loves tradition, so how about the traditional soundscape that was here before we ever started drowning out its wondrous chorus? Well, it’s not likely that we will bring that totally back, but it is important to know that we have something to protect and that our natural soundscapes are a resource that promotes health and wellness for the vast congregation of life, including us. I’d love to hear from folks about any ideas you have or similar projects that may already be out there.
- Your interest in Natural Sound?
- I am a psychotherapist and ecopsychologist who also promotes biking & walking as way to better integrate ourselves into the more-than-human world, as well as our human communities. At this time, I am working on promoting electric-assist (VT is very hilly) family/utility bikes in my community (http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site05/story.php?articleno=6411&...) as way to transform our thinking about our transportation choices and responsibility to future generations of all species. These bikes are capable of hauling as much as 500 lbs and can transport kids, adults and even cats (that's how we get our cat to the vet). I believe that the quality of our soundscapes and our availability to pay attention to them, play a huge role in our ability to care for the Earth and connect with the land.
I have also studied a great deal about the intersection between Jewish tradition and ecological thought. The main text that I have worked with is something called Perek Shira, an ancient text I like to think of as the Torah of the Earth. It begins with King David having just completed writing the Psalms and proudly shouting out to the divine creator “have you created any creature that sings more songs of praise than I do?” Just then a frog jumps up before him and proclaims to him that he sings way more songs than the arrogant King and that every croak he utters has 5000 parables within it. How about that as a moral lesson for listening to and protecting our natural soundscapes? Perhaps our noise is the noise of a bombastic King David.
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