It’s that time of year where you may be deciding how to manage the fallen autumn leaves. You may think the worst thing about leaf blowing is the noise, but the long-term effects of this gas-fueled machinery are much worse.
Gas-powered tools like the commonly used leaf blowers and lawnmowers are detrimental to long-term air quality as well as the lung health of those using the tools. The majority of commercial and homeowner leaf blowers run on the “two-stroke” engines that countries across the world are phasing out because of their high levels of ozone-forming and cancer-causing emissions.
The California Air Resources Board concluded that “the two-stroke leaf blowers and similar equipment in the state produce more ozone pollution than all of California’s tens of millions of cars, combined.”
The use of environmentally harmful tools has become routine practice in the typical American home. This is, in part, a result of climate change denial and a lack of environmental accountability from big businesses and governments.
Around the nation, local communities are restricting the use of leaf blowers, or even banning them altogether. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a law to ban the sale of new gas-powered lawn and garden equipment by January 2024. “More than 120 communities around the country have restrictions on leaf blower use and that number continues to grow.”
Environmental consciousness is not just an individual responsibility. Markets and social attitudes about what outside space is “supposed” to look like must change to reduce the impacts of climate change. Putting a stop to environmentally harmful practices combined with regenerative movements will help restore healthy local ecosystems and help form sustainable social ideals.
Organizations like Leave Leaves Alone are spreading their message to local communities that there are other options to leaf blowing that are environmentally sustainable and even cheaper than traditional leaf blowers.
Leaf Blower Alternatives:
- Switch to electric-powered tools
- Mow mulching
- Use the leaves for compost
- Move the leaves to the woods
- Leave them where they fall!
It is essential to remember that removing leaves is a common but unnecessary practice. It is natural for leaves to remain on the ground throughout winter.
“According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, “one of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need.” Leaving the leaves, either by mowing them into a thin layer of mulch on your lawn or leaving them whole on landscaped areas, is actually the best alternative for everyone!”
For more information on sustainable leaf and landscaping options, check out Leave Leaves Alone.