World Health Organization: Noise Impact, 2

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers sound pollution a matter of public health, as it impacts quality of life for millions of people every day. According to the UN agency, noise pollution is the #2 cause of diseases worldwide, second only to air pollution. In major cities, the construction industry is one of the main sources of high levels of noise. This is especially true in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil. Noise Neutral is a platform aimed at fostering discussions about innovative solutions to compensate for noise pollution - much like the carbon offsetting that is already practiced as a way to compensate for air pollution. One of the alternatives developed by the platform is a calculator, available at noiseneutral.com, in which users can point out a construction site on a map and input an estimated total area for the site and how long the construction will last. The tool then presents the total noise footprint of that construction, and lists projects capable of compensating for it, located in city regions with high levels of noise.