Reasons For YOU To Go Clean and Green
Better for Our Total Health: Gas powered landscape equipment is heavily polluting. They emit noxious gases like Nitrous Oxides (NOx), benzene, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which cause or worsen health problems such as asthma, COPD, cancer, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, birth defects, developmental, neurological and learning problems and other health conditions. These pollutants are especially dangerous for the users of the equipment who are constantly breathing in the exhaust.
Protects Lungs from Fine Particulate Matter: Hand held 2 stroke gas equipment accounts for about 90% of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) from lawn and garden equipment. Fine particulate matter cannot be seen or filtered out, and once breathed in, can remain lodged in our lungs forever, causing permanent damage.
Protects Our Hearing: The noise from gas powered equipment, especially leaf blowers, exceeds the decibel range that is considered safe. Speech is about 60 dB, and noise above 75 dB poses a risk to our hearing. Some leaf blowers reach 100-120 dB and can cause grave damage to our hearing as well as other health issues. Often equipment ratings are listed as dB range at a distance of 50 feet. However, users of the equipment are much closer than 50 feet. Also, the low frequency of this equipment can penetrate windows and walls, posing a threat to people indoors.
Better for Our Environment: Exhaust from gas powered equipment pollutes the air with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) that contribute to global warming and ground level ozone. Burning of fossil fuel has made 2023 the hottest in our recorded history. While one individual's use may not seem much, when entire communities, especially professional landscape companies, use this equipment, the amount of pollutants dramatically increases.
Avoids Risk of Spillage and Contamination: Two stroke engines that use a combination of gas and oil pose a risk of spillage during transport and refueling. This contaminates the soil and surrounding area.
Keeps Ground Pollutants Out of the Air We Breathe: In addition to noise and emissions, using leaf blowers in general instead of rakes blows all kinds of pollutants into the air like animal feces, dust, mold, dried gasoline, pollens, herbicides, pesticides, etc. all of which are breathed in by the user as well as others in the vicinity.
More Professional Landscapers are Switching: Clean and Green landscape equipment is steadily improving and is being used by professional landscapers across our state and nation. If you employ a professional landscaper, why not ask them to use battery operated equipment when servicing your property.
SOURCES: Consumer Reports, Quiet Communities, EPA