Krause explains that some “natural soundscapes cannot be replaced, as evidenced by the 25 percent loss of viable North American biophonies collected in [his] library.” How do you think climate change will impact this already substantial decrease? Are there some soundscapes that future generations will not hear? Will the migration of species as a result of climate change create new soundscapes? Or will we experience a silent spring, summer, fall, and winter as well?
Krause laments the loss of soundscapes that “no one will ever be able to hear again.” Do you think this statement asserts entitlement to have access to hear any given soundscape? Does the act of recording a soundscape inherently alter the soundscape? Do we ever have a objective insight into a soundscape? Are humans entitled to listen to all of the soundscapes that exist in the world? Do we have the right to be part of every biophony?
Krause described a study in which participants were exposed to recorded traffic noise for several nights. They claimed that they became “used to it” but their stress levels showed otherwise. In class, we have discussed that many people who grew up in urban areas find comfort in urban soundscapes and have trouble sleeping in rural areas. Do you think this study could have produced these results because the participants were exposed to a different soundscape than what they were used to? Could a potential study in which urban residents sleep in a quiet environment yield the similar results?