Fuming about Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
submitted by Susan Leggett
We usually think that our cars are the biggest polluters that we can directly control, but that generally is not the case. Those loud gas-powered leaf blowers that we (and our landscapers) use generate in one hour the equivalent emissions of driving 1,100 miles in a car. The EPA estimates that in 2020 lawn and garden equipment in the United Stated emitted more than 21,800 tons of fine particulates, the equivalent of 234 million typical cars. Air pollution is not the only negative effect. Gas-powered leaf-blowers also have an incredibly disruptive impact on our natural ecosystems and our healthy well-being.
Health Hazards: Gas leaf-blowers spew winds up to 200 miles per hour loaded with unburned carcinogens and toxins linked to cancers, heart disease and asthma. In addition, everything on the ground, including herbicides, fungicides and pesticides, is thrown into the air, posing a health hazard.
Noise: The roar of a gas blower can sound like a plane taking off. Along with disturbing the peace, the noise can cause hearing issues such as tinnitus after just two hours and cause hypertension and stress. The most powerful leaf-blowers can cause hearing damage in one minute. Their low frequency waves penetrate further and are more impactful than other sounds at the same decibel level. Animals and birds as well as people are affected by these machines, interfering with their communication, breeding and natural behaviors. William H. Stewart, a former U.S. Surgeon General, has stated that “Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.”
Ecosystem: Our natural ecosystems are altered with the extensive use of leaf blowers. This disruption is not limited simply to the physical displacement of leaves. Leaf litter is essential for a myriad of small creatures. The natural debris of leaf litter serves as a crucial habitat and food source for various insects and microorganisms, which play a vital role in the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
What are the alternatives?
QuietClean PDX and Quiet Communities are two organizations that promote a variety of alternatives to gas leaf-blowers. The most ecologically friendly alternatives include leaving the leaves under trees and shrubs, leaving grass clippings on the lawn as a natural fertilizer, planting native plants with staggered blooming times and reducing or replacing high maintenance lawns. These natural approaches have many side benefits, including providing cover for overwintering insects; returning mulched leaves to garden beds to fertilize plants and creating habitat for pollinators, salamanders, snails, and toads.
Alternatively, one could choose safer leaf moving equipment. The most ecologically friendly method of moving leaves is the rake, which is good exercise but more time-consuming! Switching over to zero-emission electric blowers is the most efficient and obvious solution, but has the disadvantage of attached cords or frequent battery charging. And, of course, there is the cost of buying new equipment. Many towns and cities are assisting the transition from gas to electric with vouchers and incentives. Currently a growing number of states and towns either restrict or ban the use of gas-powered blowers.
The Seabrook Island Property Owners Association has made significant progress with switching over to electric powered landscaping equipment. Steve Hirsch, Director of Engineering, reports that “SIPOA is working with our landscape contractor to phase out gas powered landscaping equipment. Last year they converted all handheld equipment to electric. The backpack blowers are still gas powered due to battery life and weight challenges from commercial grade electric blowers, but we are continuing to look for electric options that will work. They have ordered electric mowers that could arrive this summer as well.”
For property owners who hire landscaping companies for yard maintenance, you can find a “tip sheet” provided by Quiet Clean PDX outlining how to talk to your lawn care provider about the equipment they use as well as a sample letter asking them not to use gas-powered blowers on your property. Choosing a lawn service that uses quiet equipment is another alternative.
The unfortunate fact is that gas-powered leaf blowers are like using an acetylene torch to light a candle. The machines are typically overkill for the required job and are polluting the environment. Eliminating their use in our neighborhoods is something that each of us can do to foster better quality air and a healthier, peaceful environment for people and wildlife.
