Florida Man and His Blower-Mobile

From The Drive, crediting Brian Edward Kahrs.

For reasons of basic physics, the propulsion system found in this popular recent video is unlikely to work in real life. (Which basic physics? Whatever forward-pushing pressure the blower’s wind is exerting on the umbrella, would be reduced by backward-pushing pressure from the blower itself, against the rider’s body. This is like trying to make your car go, by pushing on the dashboard while you’re in the front seat.)

But for reasons of basic entertainment, we feel duty-bound to present it here. An ABC News video gives the main idea. (A direct link to that video is here, it does not seem to work here as an embedded video.)

And a fuller explanation with longer video, from Stef Schrader of The Drive, is here.

The stages of technological innovation range from possibility, and proof-of-concept, at the beginning, to ridicule and derision at the end. Good to see this demonstration of two-stroke power reach those terminal stages.

'Invasion of the Leaf Blowers,' from a Hearing Specialist

Robert M. Meyers is an M.D. in Chicago, whose specialities include hearing disorders. He is quoted in this Atlantic magazine piece, saying about the auditory-damage effects of gas-powered lawn equipment:

“Each time I see these crews, I think to myself: ‘10 years from now, they’ll be on the path to premature deafness.’ ”

He has now written an essay about the autumnal “Invasion of the Leaf Blowers.” It emphasizes the environmental-justice aspects of reliance on hyper-polluting, hyper-noisy gas-powered lawn equipment. For the householders who employ lawn crews, this is a nuisance. For the workers — typically much lower-income than the householders, frequently non-English speaking and in other ways at a disadvantage — it is an active health threat.

With Dr. Meyers’ permission, his essay is below:

It happens every fall. Men wearing muffs, carrying very noisy machines, invade.

I am an ear nose and throat doctor and I know the decibel level of their machines will ultimately result in deafness for them. This is in spite of the inadequate muffs offered by their bosses.

The science is simple. Leaf blowers are run by either gasoline engines or electric motors. The gasoline engines produce low frequency sound which travels further, more easily penetrates house walls and is ultimately more damaging than the electric to the sensitive microscopic hair cells in the inner ear, which perceives sound and transmits signals to the brain. Once damaged these hair cells do not recover.

The electric requires a direct cord which is cumbersome or a lithium battery which makes it cordless. These batteries require recharging which makes them less popular by the user, therefore the gasoline are much more popular and much more damaging.

But what about the ‘leaf blowers’ health. The closer to the sound source, the more decibels affecting the user the more the damage. The leaf blower gets about 100 decibels of constant noise. The home owner gets 70 of intermittent noise, a multiple less. What does this mean in damage? Without being too technical, the damage to the inner ear is dependent on decibels. For every 3 decibel increase in sound, the ear gets twice as much potential damage. So when you increase the decibels, say from 70 to 85, you stress the inner ear not just about 20% but by a factor of 31 times! When you go from 70 to 100 which is what the leaf-blower is getting, the ‘sound damage’ to the ear is 1000 times greater to the poor leaf blower’s ear. Nobody advocates for him. ..

No one seems to care about the future of the ‘leaf blowers’ hearing because they are ‘aliens’ appearing to ‘invade’ our borders…

'Quiet Princeton' on the Impact of COVID

Logo from the Quiet Princeton site.

Please check here for a valuable site from citizens in Princeton, New Jersey.

Sample from their mission statement, updated for the pandemic era:

Quiet Princeton was founded in 2016 in Princeton, New Jersey, by a group of local citizens with a common interest in reducing noise disturbance in our town…

COVID-19 IMPACTS

Covid-19 attacks the lung tissue of those it infects. The polluting 2-stroke engines of gas-powered leaf blowers generate fine particulates by entering the lungs and are well documented to cause disease and death. Recent studies have shown that these particulates have a further severe impact on Covid patients: they worsen the morbidity and mortality of Covid patients, as detailed here and here. Quiet Princeton is publicizing this serious issue and is advocating a cessation of use of gas-powered leaf blowers to reduce death and illness. While all people are affected, landscape workers are particularly exposed. 

‘Worst of the Worst’: the NYT’s ‘Wirecutter’ on Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment

The popular “Wirecutter” column in the New York Times is known for ahead-of-the-trend recommendations about technology, techniques, and overall best-and-worst practices in navigating modern life. As the NYT writer Dorie Chevlen says in the latest installment:

Wirecutter is best known for recommending things that are the best of the best. But on occasion, we discover the worst of the worst.

What’s in the “worst of the worst” category now for Wirecutter? None other than the ongoing subject in this space, gas-powered lawn equipment. Wirecutter says:

For the most part, we don’t recommend that you buy gardening tools equipped with gas engines. Historically, string trimmers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, and lawn mowers have been gas powered, and admittedly gas models do work fine. But as more companies switch to producing battery-powered or electric models, we now prefer them since they eliminate the nuisance of regular maintenance, trips to the gas station, and breathing in stinky exhaust.

Well and clearly put by Chevlen and Wirecutter. The change is underway.

'Quiet Montclair' Makes Its Debut

Our colleagues in New Jersey have launched a new site, Quiet Montclair, which you can see here. It has a vision statement attuned to pandemic-era realities of more people spending their days in their homes, rather than in downtown workplaces, as well as the pre-pandemic qualities that drew residents to a community.

A sample:

Why do people choose to live in Montclair? Ask a resident and you’ll hear any number of reasons — excellent public schools, vibrant commercial life, diverse and interesting people, six train stops, and more. A place that invigorates while still offering a sense of calm and quiet retreat. Our tree-lined streets, our historic architecture, our yards and parks bursting with green — all help to create an aura of peace and well-being….

And then comes the grinding roar of lawn maintenance equipment, especially the backpack-mounted, gas-powered leaf blowers that generate air speeds of 200 miles an hour or more. The whine is deafening and unmistakable, invading entire neighborhoods with grating, disruptive noise and pollutants. Just one of these machines, inefficiently burning a toxic mix of gasoline and oil, spews more smog-forming emissions into the air in a single hour than an average-sized car driving halfway across the United States.

Quiet Montclair is a movement of citizens from every ward in town who want to recover the ideal that “home” is supposed to represent. This website is the beginning of that effort.

Best wishes to our colleagues in New Jersey. This is becoming a nationwide and worldwide movement. A few years from now, the idea of hyper-polluting, nuisance-generating equipment operating near households and schools will be likened to the days of widespread cigarette smoking or mass applications of DDT.

'Say Goodbye for Good'

Headline on new editorial by Jessica Hough in Los Feliz Ledger in California.

In a strong editorial for the Los Feliz Ledger, near Los Angeles in southern California, Jessica Hough connects the public-health and environmental-justice implications of COVID, with regulation of the most polluting form of machinery still in legal use.

Sample:

I have heard neighbors say that they fear their gardener will charge them more if they tell him not to use the gas blower. Don’t you already pay more for organic food and filtered water? Clean air for your children to breathe should be as high on your list of priorities. 

Needless to say, operating a gas-powered leaf blower is even more harmful to the user, who inhales much more of the carcinogens along with high concentrations of microscopic ultrafine particles. So if you care a lick about environmental justice, then this is one more reason to put an end to the gas powered tool and provide better working conditions for the lawn and garden teams that work for you. 

Congratulations to Jessica Hough. Read the full editorial here.

'Why Everybody Loves Leaf Blowers'

A fitting appreciation:

Chevy Chase, Md., Bans Leafblowers

From the Mother Earth Project website.

Another community has passed an outright ban on gas-powered leafblowers. The statement at the bottom of the post is the resolution from the Village of Chevy Chase, in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. The movement continues.

For another reason why it is continuing: Yet another article, this one from Popular Science, about the accelerating advances in the price, performance, and power-per-weight of modern batteries, versus their obsolete, hyper-polluting gas-powered counterparts.

Below, the resolution from Chevy Chase.

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BOARD OF MANAGERS FOR
CHEVY CHASE VILLAGE, MD

December 9, 2019 December 9, 2019 December 23, 2019

SUBJECT: AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 20, “NOISE CONTROL”, SEC. 20-2, “SECTIONS ADDED”, TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS AFTER JANUARY 1, 2022.

WHEREAS, §5-201 et seq. of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, authorizes the Board of Managers to adopt such ordinances as it deems necessary to assure the good government of Chevy Chase Village; to protect and preserve the rights, property and privileges of the Village; to preserve peace and good order; to secure persons and property from danger and destruction; and to protect the health, comfort and convenience of Village residents; and

WHEREAS, Section 206 of the Chevy Chase Village Charter authorizes the Board of Managers to adopt such ordinances as it deems necessary for the safety and welfare of Chevy Chase Village; for the protection and preservation of Chevy Chase Village property, rights and privileges; for the preservation of peace and good order and for securing persons and property from violence, danger or destruction; and for the suppression and abatement of all nuisances; and

Resolution No.: 12-01-19

:Indicate matter deleted in amendment

WHEREAS, §3-105 “Powers and duties of political subdivisions”, of the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, authorizes the Village to adopt noise regulations that are at least as restrictive as those of the State; and

WHEREAS, the Village Board has determined that residents of the Village have a right to an environment that is free from noise that may jeopardize their health, general welfare or property and as a result, the Board adopted Chapter 20, “Noise Control”; and

WHEREAS, the Village’s Environment & Energy Committee has issued a report entitled “Proposal to Address Noise and other Impacts from Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers” dated June 18, 2019 and amended dated August 15, 2019, and has recommended that gas powered leaf blowers be prohibited in the Village; and

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that it is in the public interest to prohibit gas- powered leaf blowers after January 1, 2022, to reduce the environmental noise pollution that this equipment creates and the effective date of this law is consistent with that of the District of Columbia’s law prohibiting gas-powered blowers; and

WHEREAS, after proper notice to the public, the Board of Managers conducted a public hearing at which it considered the following ordinance in public session assembled on the 9th day of December, 2019.

NOW THEREFORE, the Board of Managers of Chevy Chase Village does hereby adopt the following ordinance:

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 20, “NOISE CONTROL”, SEC. 20-2, “SECTIONS ADDED”, TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS AFTER JANUARY 1, 2022.

SECTION 1. BE IT ORDAINED AND ORDERED this 9th day of December, 2019, by the Board of Managers of Chevy Chase Village, acting under and by virtue of the authority granted to it by §5-201 et seq. of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, and Section 206 of the Chevy Chase Village Charter, that Chapter 20, “Noise Control”, Sec. 20-2, “Sections added”, be repealed, re-enacted and amended to read as follows:

Sec. 20-2. Sections added.

The following sections shall apply in the Village in addition to the provisions of Chapter 31B of the Montgomery County Code:

(a) Special noise limits. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, or permit another to engage in, the following conduct:

(1) Sound a horn or other signaling device on any motor vehicle except as an emergency or danger warning signal.

(2) Except in an emergency, operation of power landscaping equipment such as a lawn mower, leaf blower or other similar motorized equipment or device after 6:00 p.m. or before 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and after 6:00 p.m. or before 9:00 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays.

(3) Permit one's animal to cause a noise disturbance.

(4) Notwithstanding Sec. 31B-6 of the Montgomery County Code, except in an emergency, conduct noise-generating construction activity after 6:00 p.m. or before 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and after 6:00 p.m. or before 9:00 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays. Noise generating construction activity includes, but is not limited to:

a. Loading, unloading or moving construction vehicles, materials supplies or equipment; b. Using power tools or equipment;
c. Using hand tools; and operating machinery.

(5) USE OF A GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWER ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2022

(b) Municipal infraction. Any person who violates any of the provisions of Section 20-2(a) shall be guilty of a municipal infraction and shall be subject to such prosecution and penalties as are provided in Chapters 5 and 6 of the Village Code.

SECTION 2

AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED AND ORDERED, this 9th day of December, 2019, by the

Board of Managers of Chevy Chase Village, acting under and by virtue of the authority granted to it by §5-201 et seq. of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, and Section 206 of the Village Charter that:

1. (1)  If any part of provision of this ordinance is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the part of provision held to be invalid shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any remaining part thereof; and

2. (2)  This ordinance shall take effect on the 23rd day of December, 2019, provided the same is posted at the Village Office for fourteen (14) days prior thereto.

ATTEST:

Shana R. Davis-Cook, Village Manager

____________________________________

4

CHEVY CHASE VILLAGE

Elissa Leonard, Chair Board of Managers Chevy Chase Village

_______________________________

Leafblowers During the Pandemic

A reader in the greater Washington D.C. area writes:

I read your notes on leaf blowers in the Atlantic, and I have been
trying to get gas-powered leaf blowers banned in my town (Cheverly) and
county (Prince George's).  I have written all of my politicians, but
nobody has written back.  I just want to say that your arguments against
leaf blowers are especially strong during this time.  The noise
pollution makes us close our windows when ventilation is more important
than ever.  Air pollution not only exacerbates the illness, but it looks
like viruses can stay airborne longer on pollution particles.

I am glad that you had success against gas powered leaf blowers in DC,
and I hope that you can take your campaign national.  I doubt that there
is more than one commercial (landscaping company) leaf blower per 100
Americans, which means that paying for the leaf blower's battery powered
replacement would cost less than $2 per American.  I think that that is
a cost worth paying.

Larchmont, NY, Bans Leaf Blowers

From Larchmont, New York, news of a significant local-legislative step. Below is the announcement:

---

LARCHMONT FIRST IN NORTHEAST TO BAN 

GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS

Board of Trustees Passes New Law to Take Effect January 1, 2022

Larchmont, NY, September 21, 2020 – The Village of Larchmont Board of Trustees unanimously banned gas-powered leaf blowers effective January 2022. The Board also limited electric leaf blowers to spring and fall clean-ups, with temporary allowances as determined by the Mayor for extreme weather events.  

Mayor Lorraine Walsh said, “Larchmont is proud to be a leader in municipal green policy. Policies such as this, which ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers entirely, are essential if we are going to make meaningful progress in turning back the environmental damages causing global climate change. Thanks to the Larchmont Environmental Committee for working so hard on this legislative change and educating the community about the impacts of gas-powered leaf blower use.” 

The new code follows a four-year outreach campaign by the Larchmont Environmental Committee to inform residents and landscape workers of mounting evidence regarding the hazards of leaf blowers. These include:

• Public health hazards, when gases and particulates are inhaled by crews, residents, neighbors, and passers-by; 

• Damage to the environment, as hurricane-force air currents dessicate soil and plants and destroy insect and wildlife habitat;

• Social and environmental justice issues, which affect crews exposed to health hazards often without knowledge, protection, or power to object.

Larchmont made news in 1985 as one of the first municipalities to note concerns over leaf blowers (“In Verdant Larchmont, A Battle Over Garden Noise” New York Times, June 10, 1985) and 10 years later, in 1995, when its Board enacted a summer ban. This past spring, Mayor Walsh issued an Executive Order banning leaf blowers during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce noise for those working from home and to protect residents, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community -- children, seniors and convalescents. Residents praise the relative quiet, clear air, and greatly increased awareness of wildlife, especially birds, throughout the day. And Larchmont remains as beautiful as ever. 

###

Larchmont Environmental Committee leaf blower presentations to the Village of Larchmont Board of Trustees can be viewed here:

Committee presentation on 05/18/2020

https://lmcmedia.org/videos_list/village-of-larchmont-board-of-trustees-meeting-5-18-20/; select agenda item 3

Public conversation on 06/15/2020 https://lmcmedia.org/videos_list/village-of-larchmont-board-of-trustees-meeting-6-15-20/; select agenda item 3

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And, in related news, check this Facebook post for more information on “Pollinator Friendly Yards.”

The Battery Revolution Gains Speed

In Ars Technica, the science-and-technology writer Timothy B. Lee writes about the accelerating revolution in battery technology. Within less than a decade, he writes, the price-per-kilowatt-hour of lithium ion batteries has fallen by almost 90%. As he writes:

That's the result of a virtuous circle where better, cheaper batteries expand the market, which in turn drives investments that produce further improvements in cost and performance. The trend is hugely significant because cheap batteries will be essential to shifting the world economy away from carbon-intensive energy sources like coal and gasoline.

Batteries and electric motors have emerged as the most promising technology for replacing cars powered by internal combustion engines…. The cost advantage will be even bigger once you factor in the low cost of charging an electric car, so we can expect falling battery costs to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.

The implications for other applications of battery power, from the electric grid to aviation, are obvious. As they are, of course, for the lawn-care industry, now so dependent on obsolete, highly polluting gas-powered engines. The innovations driven mainly by the electric-car industry will pay off in many places, including this.

The Future Is Here

The Oregon Products company, of Portland, Oregon, has released three videos of its very impressive new battery-powered models. Check them out.

Above: one of the new, powerful battery-powered blowers.

Below, a survey of battery-powered equipment:

Below, more on the range of battery-powered equipment: