ASA 124th Meeting New Orleans 1992 October

3aNS1. New initiatives in noise control reflecting on lessons from Arden House.

Kenneth McK. Eldred

P.O. Box 1037, Concord, MA 01742

In June 1972, the Acoustical Society held a conference on Acoustics and Societal Problems (CASP) at Arden House in Harriman, New York. Over 50 members participated in the 3-day conference, organized in seven task teams under the able general chairmanship of John C. Johnson. The 89-page report of this conference contains detailed assessments of needs and recommended actions in five scientific and technical areas of societal concern and two other areas related to communication of information and ideas. These seven areas were: (1) noise and man; (2) outdoor sound propagation and sources; (3) motor vehicle noise; (4) biomedical acoustics; (5) acoustic applications; (6) interorganizational activities and relationships; and (7) diffusion of knowledge. This paper draws upon the 20-yr-old repository of knowledge to find needs and ideas in the area of noise control that are as relevant today as they were 20 yr ago. The items found in this unfinished agenda provide a partial basis for the development of new initiatives for noise control and insight into the difficulties of their implementation. Hopefully, these ideas and insights can lead to effective execution of new initiatives in the future.