Dallas moving forward with plan to entice residents to switch from gas-powered lawn tools 🏡🍃 🥕
"Proposal [to outlaw gas-powered mowers & blowers] was scrapped after state legislators passed a law last year that blocks cities from restricting the use, sale or lease of an engine based on its fuel source."
On the way down, I had a call from my mum, about not being able to log on to MYOB, she was a bit panicked so I told her that the cloud people are having outages ... "It's not your fault mum" ... And there was a blower person blowing f'en dust and crap up in the air ... It wasn't till I started to cough that they saw I was waiting to stop so I could walk past .... In their defence, there was a huge dust cloud that engulfed me ... Hugz
A rant about leaf blowers. Just stop with them. Gas ones spew CO2 and particulates at an alarming rate, they’re the definition of noise pollution, and they disturb insect habitat under your hedges. But they’re also just not that good at getting leaves together. Here’s the thing that no blower guy will tell you, but every SE Asian grandma knows: the best way to get leaves off your hard surfaces is this tool right here. 1/3 #gardening#GardeningMastodon#insects#biodiversity#Autumn#FallColors
Leaf blowers are the perfect tool for macho guy landscapers because they make it look like you’re doing Hard, Important, Definitely Man’s Work. These dudes wouldn’t be caught dead with a broom because sweeping up is Women’s Work and definitely not worthy of a Manly Man getting paid Man’s Wages.
2/4 #gardening#GardeningMastodon#insects#biodiversity#Autumn#FallColors#LeafBlowers#LeaveTheLeaves
But by the time you check the oil/fuel mix, mess with the choke, troubleshoot, change batteries, plug in cords, dance around the driveway spewing CO2 at like nine hard-to-get leaves, grandma there is already done with sweeping and moved on to something else. Also, sweeping and raking are good for your abs.
3/4 #gardening#GardeningMastodon#insects#biodiversity#Autumn#FallColors#LeafBlowers#LeaveTheLeaves
By the way, these are the best kind of broom for outdoors. They’re stiff enough to scrape up wet leaves and won’t scratch your driveway like metal rakes. They don’t have the springiness of synthetic or “corn” brooms so the leaves go where you shove them and stay there. Aside from the plastic ferrule the whole thing is biodegradable. They last four or five years of regular use.
4/4 #gardening#GardeningMastodon#insects#biodiversity#Autumn#FallColors#LeafBlowers#LeaveTheLeaves
"Preemption can get really granular: cities in #Florida are barred from banning #GasStations within their communities, and in #Georgia they cannot even ban gas-powered #LeafBlowers. Local governments may also be limited in how they may raise funds through taxes or otherwise, so they may not have the resources to advance the policies they want. "
Reason number 492 I won't mind moving out of this apartment complex: the landscaping crew with the horrendous #leafBlowers.
May whoever invented those rot in hell.
(Actually, the management company did cut way back on the frequency of maintenance, which was nice... having stuff be overgrown is MUCH nicer than pruned like a golf course. Although they did claim it was for "sustainability" when you know what they really liked about it was spending less moolah.)
"In 2011, approximately 26.7 million tons of pollutants were emitted by gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, accounting for 24%−45% of all nonroad gasoline emissions. Gasoline-powered landscape maintenance equipment (leaf blowers/vacuums, and trimmers, edgers, brush cutters) accounted for 43% of VOCs and around 50% of fine PM. Two-stroke engines were responsible for the vast majority of fine PM."
I just don't want to hear them ever again. We don't have to discuss the environmental costs if we can band together simply to eliminate a really annoying noise.
I think the thing I hate most about visiting people who live in suburbs are lawnmowers.
Honestly they are the worst. They make so much noise and you're burning fossil fuels to maintain something that is neither food, nor a cash crop. The entire idea of a lawn that needs this much resource is just beyond stupid.
At least switch to a push mower. When I visit my parents, I pull out the push mower I bought them. When neighbours see a gas powered mower out, they cross the street to avoid the noise and fumes. When they see me with my push mower, they stop to chat.
Lawnmowers are horribly antisocial and the lawn lovers don't even realize this.