Love us and Leaf us Alone!

http://ny2aap.org/2016/10/28/love-us-and-leaf-us-alone/?fbclid=IwAR1d3mbobOOLiZu9kdPSKkmtkRygj4sgyqXO6wg4vJxDYZRAT2FkoOg0IX4

Oct. 28, 2016
NY American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 2

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Gas leaf blowers are among the worst offenders in our garages. Their inefficient 2- stroke engines burn an oil-gas mixture that generates high levels of toxic chemicals, and they churn up fine particulate matter at ground level, where they are easily inhaled.

Up to 30% of its gasoline is discharged unburned. The exhaust from gasoline leaf blowers combines with sunlight to produce ground level ozone which can cause immediate respiratory symptoms and may exacerbate long-term lung disease.

Other pollutants caused by gasoline leaf blowers read like a “Who’s Who” of toxins which adversely affects health, particularly for the young and elderly

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According to an Environmental Protection Agency study, small lawn and garden engines account for 5%–10% of total US emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and fine particulate matter. The hydrocarbon emissions from 30 minutes of running a 2-stroke leaf blower equals those produced in a 3,900-mile drive in a Ford Raptor!

Children are particularly vulnerable to these toxins because their organs are still developing, and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. They are also lower to the ground and therefore inhale more pollutants released into the air by this equipment and spend more time outside. Gasoline leaf blowers are linked to asthma exacerbation, pulmonary disease, various cancers, heart attack, strokes, congestive heart failure, and increased overall mortality.

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These devices are also significant causes of noise pollution, which is why you can hear them six streets over in our neighborhoods. The ears of young children are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of the intense, high-frequency noise that gasoline leaf blowers generate. Noise has been shown to negatively affect blood pressure, to increase stress, impair communication, reduce school performance, and diminish the accuracy of complex tasks.

Gasoline leaf blowers also harm gardens and landscapes via loss of top soil and of beneficial soil microbes. They also disturb habitats of small mammals, birds and insects. It’s better for the environment to allow some leaves to remain under bushes and trees.

Banning gasoline leaf blowers does not mean losing this landscaping tool to maintain our yards, parks and community gardens. Today we have commercial-grade Lithium Ion battery blowers. They are a much better alternative. Newer commercial-grade lithium battery blowers do not pollute, do not cause ground level ozone, eliminate solid waste byproducts and are much quieter. These and manual equipment (think rakes and brooms) have been shown to be equally or nearly equally efficient and effective, and are cost-efficient. Landscapers and homeowners actually save money. (In a test in California, a Grandma was nearly as fast and was more effective in cleaning a yard than a leaf blower!!!)

Also, raking is good exercise.

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