Gas leaf blowers and lawn mowers are shockingly bad for the planet. Bans are beginning to spread.
Advocates say using a commercial gas leaf blower for an hour produces emissions equal to driving from Denver to Los Angeles.
DENVER Your lawn may be the next climate change battleground. And parks. And playgrounds.
Regulators and clean-air advocates are increasingly eyeing the pollution emitted by small gasoline engines used to power lawn mowers and leaf blowers as they seek to blunt climate change. Environmentali sts say using a commercial gas leaf blower for an hour produces emissions equal to driving from Denver to Los Angeles.
Among cities and states with bans or limits: California; Burlington, Vermont; and Washington, D.C. Vancouver, British Columbia, also has restrictions in place.
While many critics first attacked the small engines for the noise they make, experts say these small, two-stroke engines release shockingly large amounts of pollution two problems that modern and increasingly affordable electric-powered equipment solves.