Photo credit: Timothy Valentine licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition Ban the awful leaf blowers. That’s the headline for a letter to the editor in the Camden New Journal, an independent newspaper in London. The writer includes some details of leaf blower history that I didn’t know, namely:
Photo credit: Timothy Valentine licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition There’s an old adage that every cloud has a silver lining, but I’ve always been skeptical about that. For example, I don’t think there is really any silver lining to the COVID-19 cloud that has disrupted life in the
Photo credit: UGA CAES/Extension licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 by Jan L. Mayes, MSc, Audiologist How loud are robot mowers? A New York Times article on reducing pollution emissions discusses increased focus on landscaping equipment like robot mowers to replace hazardous gas or fossil-fuel powered landscaping equipment. Jamie Banks, president of the nonprofit Quiet Communities,
Photo credit: Marco Verch licensed under CC BY 2.0 by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition WPDH reports that many towns in the mid-Hudson Valley have effectively banned gas-powered leaf blowers from use. Beacon, NY limits leaf blowers to those under 60 decibels, which effectively means that no gas-powered leaf blowers can be used.
Photo credit: Alex Juel licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition This report from Sandwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, describes how the Heritage Museum & Gardens there is switching to battery powered lawn mowers and other landscape maintenance equipment. Museum director Les Lutz tells readers that automated battery-powered mowers, used
Dr. Jamie Banks writes about the danger gas-powered leaf blowers present to workers and the public. A recent study finds long-term exposure to fine particulates may significantly raise the risk of death from COVID-19.
America's local communities are thriving despite partisan gridlock, something Deborah and James Fallows have documented in their new book, “Our Towns.”
Fall is leaf blower season, sadly. Dr. Daniel Fink revisits an article in CityLab that sums up our dislike leaf blowers. Quiet alternatives exist. Hand us a rake, please!
Quieter lawn equipment aids landscape sustainability says TQC’s Dr. Jamie Banks. Click here to learn what you can do to protect yourself and your environment.
Leaf blower hazards include deafening noise levels of 100 dB or more and may include carcinogenic exhaust. If the government won’t act, maybe litigation will compel change.
