The sounds you hear most may depend on where you live, a rural community versus urban,

city or suburbs, but a completely quiet home in America is hard to come by.

According to the experts, no matter where you live, it's getting louder.

We have more transportation around us. This might be road traffic,

rail traffic, air traffic. There's many other sources of noise coming from

outdoor power equipment, industry, entertainment venues, and so forth.

Jamie Banks is founder and president of the non-profit Quiet Communities.

In groups like hers are part of a growing movement that sees chronic noise exposure

as not just a nuisance, but a health risk.

The medical community is beginning to notice the magnitude and long-term effects

that noise has at this cellular level.

You research, published in the journal of the American College of Cardiology,

finds such noise pollution may have an effect on your heart health.

Consider this. Nearly one in three Americans are regularly exposed to excessive noise.

As communities get louder, some are fighting back,

pushing for more regulations to create quieter and healthier cities.

From NPR, I'm Ping Huang. It's Friday, August 18th.

This message comes from NPR sponsor Organic Valley, a co-op of small organic family farms.

Farmer Tyler Webb shares why caring for his land has always been a priority.

I'd like to contribute to my community,

an array of ecosystem services beyond just milk, building topsoil, and holding onto water,

and supporting wildlife to build that resilience that will support generations to come.

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