How would life be without leaf blowers?

Leaf blowers are a relatively recent invention, with the first blowers starting to be used in the 1950s. As with many innovations, there are plusses and minuses in the eyes of users and the affected public. Users such as gardeners view them as a positive innovation, while many others may view them as a noisy, air-polluting nuisance. Why should you care?

Noise pollution

 

If you recently went for a neighborhood walk, or were sitting outside in your garden, the peace and quiet may have been interrupted by a leaf blower. Noise pollution by leaf blowers is mostly caused by gas-powered engines with little or no noise abatement components (e.g. mufflers). Noise pollution is not only a nuisance which reduces the desire to be outdoors, to walk, etc., but it is also proven to be harmful, especially for pregnant women, children and infants. 

 

Air pollution

 

Besides the obvious noise pollution, air pollution is a second significant concern. According to the California Air Resources Board, an individual gas-powered leaf blower emits 500 times the level of hydrocarbons of a modern automobile. And, with a muzzle velocity of 150 mph, blowers blow dust particles, including herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants up from the ground into the air, especially troubling to asthmatics and allergy sufferers. As tires are used on our streets, the wear translates into deposits of rubber, chemicals and heavy metals. Without leaf blowers, these substances would ultimately be washed off and drained to the local wastewater treatment plant, which can handle the runoff safely. Leaf blowers blow them into the air, and they may settle in human lungs, animal lungs, your garden furniture, etc.

Why is it the right thing to ban gas-powered leaf blowers?

 

Industrialized nations have demonstrated a desire to improve living conditions and increase protection of the environment. Billions of dollars have been spent in the United States to clean up hazardous waste sites. We have moved away from leaded gasoline to lead-free gasoline, and nowadays a good percentage of cars are hybrids or all electric. Numerous harmful chemicals have been banned from use in food products. Airplanes have become much quieter, to a point that low-flying, cruising airliners are mostly not viewed as a noise nuisance anymore. As more people work from home, their carbon footprints reduce.

 

In California, more than 20 cities have banned leaf blowers. Examples of cities in the San Francisco Bay Area include Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Los Altos and Sunnyvale. If you query a sample of Belmont residents about the major noise and air pollution sources in their city, leaf blowers are most often the top concern. It is therefore only logical to work toward reducing/eliminating this source of pollution. Leaf blowers need to be eliminated, or only allowed if strict environmental standards are applied. The logical path appears to be to ban gasoline-fired leaf blowers at least, and put strict maximum noise levels on electric leaf blowers.

 

Intelligent garden maintenance

 

An informal survey of gardeners in Palo Alto and other cities reveals that gardening costs don't increase when a leaf blower is not used. This apparent conundrum can be explained by the fact that currently, leaf blowers are often used inappropriately and ineffectively. For example:

 

• Only a few leaves are chased by the leaf blowers, often over long distances;

• Leaves are blown from one lot to another, without actual removal;

• Leaf blowers are used on wet ground, during rain or when wind makes it an almost futile effort; and

• Blowing leaves off of roofs.

Intelligent garden maintenance means that appropriate tools are used for maintenance while protecting local biotopes. This does not increase maintenance costs, especially when the maintenance is done if and when required. Advance garden maintenance services use alternatives to leaf blowers such as push brooms, rakes and manual leaf sweeping machines. Leaf vacuums may be an option for larger properties. It follows that intelligent garden maintenance has the following characteristics:

• No noise pollution;

• No air pollution;

• No harm to the health of gardening employees or passersby;

• Infrequent/minimal removal of leaves from planter beds and hedges. Leaving leaves in place helps soil retain moisture, thus minimizing irrigation requirements;

• Leaves used as mulch eventually decompose and enrich the soil; and

• Local wildlife flourishes.

Granted that it takes some time to transition to alternative leaf clearing techniques, but the above-mentioned 20+ cities in California have demonstrated that this can be done. Life without leaf blowers is a four-way win-win for residents, home owners, garden maintenance firms and the environment.

 

https://patch.com/california/belmont-ca/leaf-blowers-cause-air-noise-pollution-harms-our-citizens-particular-children