Listening To Ecological Interference: Renewable Technologies And Their Soundscapes

Linda O'Keeffe

Listening To Ecological Interference: Renewable Technologies And Their Soundscapes

Linda O'Keeffe

Edinburgh College of Art

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

The sounds of modernity are increasingly moving into natural habitats. With an influx of new technologies designed to utilise and extract material from nature, the natural soundscape is becoming masked by the mechanical and technological. This article addresses an experience of listening and recording which took place in the summer of 2015, within two different natural landscapes: the southern region of Iceland and the north eastern region of Spain. The field trip exposed a significant keynote sound within each space; a sound produced by renewable technologies. The sounds produced by these technologies, wind farms and hydroelectric power stations, were significantly louder than had been expected. This lead to an analysis of whether the soundscapes of environmentally friendly technologies can or should be critiqued, even if they have a demonstrable impact on the ecosystem.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 22 Aug 2017
Event	Balance-Unbalance 2017: A Sense of Place - Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Aug 2017 → 23 Aug 2017 http://balance-unbalance2017.org/

Conference

Conference	Balance-Unbalance 2017
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Plymouth
Period	21/08/17 → 23/08/17
Internet address	http://balance-unbalance2017.org/

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Ecology, soundscape, renewable energy

Access to Document

http://balance-unbalance2017.org

1 Chapter

Listening to renewable energy technologies
O'Keeffe, L., 30 Aug 2019, Sound, Media, Ecology. Droumeva, M. & Jordan, R. (eds.). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 179-195 17 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Open Access
File

Cite this

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title = "Listening To Ecological Interference: Renewable Technologies And Their Soundscapes",

abstract = "The sounds of modernity are increasingly moving into natural habitats. With an influx of new technologies designed to utilise and extract material from nature, the natural soundscape is becoming masked by the mechanical and technological. This article addresses an experience of listening and recording which took place in the summer of 2015, within two different natural landscapes: the southern region of Iceland and the north eastern region of Spain. The field trip exposed a significant keynote sound within each space; a sound produced by renewable technologies. The sounds produced by these technologies, wind farms and hydroelectric power stations, were significantly louder than had been expected. This lead to an analysis of whether the soundscapes of environmentally friendly technologies can or should be critiqued, even if they have a demonstrable impact on the ecosystem.",

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AB - The sounds of modernity are increasingly moving into natural habitats. With an influx of new technologies designed to utilise and extract material from nature, the natural soundscape is becoming masked by the mechanical and technological. This article addresses an experience of listening and recording which took place in the summer of 2015, within two different natural landscapes: the southern region of Iceland and the north eastern region of Spain. The field trip exposed a significant keynote sound within each space; a sound produced by renewable technologies. The sounds produced by these technologies, wind farms and hydroelectric power stations, were significantly louder than had been expected. This lead to an analysis of whether the soundscapes of environmentally friendly technologies can or should be critiqued, even if they have a demonstrable impact on the ecosystem.

KW - Ecology, soundscape, renewable energy

M3 - Paper

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Y2 - 21 August 2017 through 23 August 2017

ER -

Listening To Ecological Interference: Renewable Technologies And Their Soundscapes

Abstract

Conference

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Listening to renewable energy technologies

Cite this