Dear Adam,
Right after I got your letter I saw an ad for
a leaf blower with a guy saying, "Blowing leaves around at
195 mph. Now that's the good life." It made me wonder if
you and I are really missing out on something. While I've been
known to slam leaf blowers and seriously question the point of
relocating leaves at high speeds-mostly onto your neighbors' lawns-I
do understand that there are some real reasons why people might
purchase these loud polluters: aching backs, and landscaping and
property maintenance companies that want to protect their employees
from injury, to name a couple.
But unfortunately, leaf blowers and other tools
with two-stroke engines like some lawn mowers, snow blowers, chain
saws and trimmers, send 30 percent of the unburned fuel out with
the exhaust.
A 2000 report by the California EPA determined
that the average residential leaf blower produces 145 times more
hydrocarbons, 7.5 times more carbon monoxide, and 11 times more
particulate matter in one hour than a 1999-2000 light duty vehicle
driven at 30 mph, getting 15 miles to the gallon. The hydrocarbon
emissions produced from one-half hour of residential leaf blower
operation are equal to the emissions produced from driving 2200
miles, comparable to a round trip from Denver to San Diego. Commercial
leaf blowers with more horse power are even more polluting.
Pollution from dust and debris is also a significant
issue. Leaf blowers' powerful engine jets have the unintended
consequence of disturbing and suspending smaller particulate matter
such as dust, fecal matter, pesticides, fungi, chemicals, fertilizers,
spores, and street dirt that consists of lead and organic and
elemental carbon, according to the California EPA.
Because of these air pollution problems associated
with leaf blowers, many municipalities across the US have banned
or restricted their use.
So what are those of you with aching backs or
employee safety issues to do? If the rake doesn't seem to be an
option, you can consider a couple of solutions. One is to let
the leaves lie as mulch and fertilize your grass. You can chop
up the leaves with a four-stroke or electric-powered mower (mulching
mower blades help but aren't required), creating more surface
area to help the leaves break down more quickly.
If you're still going for the leaf blower, limit
its use to large jobs only, pulling out the broom to sweep the
porch and sidewalk. If you're making a new purchase, ask for the
lowest-emission models available. The EPA and the California Air
and Resources Board (CARB) have begun regulating leaf blowers
manufactured after the year 2000, so be sure to buy a model that
has either the EPA's or CARB's certification. Consider purchasing
an electric-powered blower that is less polluting and less noisy.
Obviously, the cord can be an issue for larger areas, but cordless
models are on the verge of entering the market- as are lower-emission,
four-stroke leaf blowers and hybrids-so you might want to hold
off on your purchase until these models are in the stores.
There are many more cordless options available
for other two-stroke engine tools such as lawnmowers, trimmers
and chain saws which have the added advantages of being lighter
weight and easier to start. Once the snow falls and you're looking
at pollution issues associated with snow blowers (which frequently
have two-stroke engines), you might want to take the same factors
into consideration before making your purchase. After all, breathing
clean air is certainly part of "the good life," isn't
it?
