Leaf Blowers: Not A Big Climate Problem

Posted by Eric de Place

01/24/2008 02:45 PM

The best climate strategies don't start in your backyard.

In my line of work one sometimes hears strange things. These include allegations that leaf blowers or pet manure should be high priority targets for reducing climate emissions. I'm in a myth-busting mood today, so I am happy to report that leaf blowers don't really rate.

In the US, the emissions from all leaf blowers, both residential and commercial, for all of 2008 will be roughly equivalent to the emissions from driving that occurred between the arrival of the new year and 11:00 a.m. on January 1.

Add to that the entire year's worth of snowblowers, and you can equal the driving emissions up until 1:30 p.m. on the first.

Add in all lawn mowers, both residential and commerical, including the big riding and tractor-type units. Add in rototillers and other turf maintenance equipment. Add chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, and shredders. Now add trimmers, edgers, brush cutters, and any other garden tool you can think of. The combined emissions from all of that racket-making equipment, for the entire year, is roughly equal to the driving that occurred before afternoon rush hour on January 6.

Of course, that's not really the whole story.

Here's a different way to think about leaf blowers: they emit more than 2.6 million tons of carbon-dioxide each year in the US. And each year they burn enough fuel to fill 6.4 million oil barrels. (More than 90 percent of the fuel use and emissions are from commercial leaf blowers.) Now, that sounds like a lot because it is a lot. It's just that it's nowhere near the impact of driving -- not even a single day's worth of driving.

So, from the perspective of climate protection, it makes more sense to go after the big fish -- cars and trucks -- where even a tiny improvement can translate into a huge gain.

On the other hand, from the perspective of protecting local air quality, it might makes sense to worry about yard equipment. They have small but dirty two-stroke engines that can be responsible for a surprising share of health-harming air pollutants. (But these pollutants are mostly not the heat-trapping gases that cause climate change, a distinction that is frequently overlooked.)

The most important perspective, however, is the perspective of not-annoying-me-while-I'm-enjoying-a-cold-drink-on-the-patio. From this vantage point it would be wise to replace gas-powered yard tools with electric or muscle-powered versions. And one good place to start would be my neighbor's lawn mower.

Figures in this post are calculated from the US Department of Transportation, "Transportation Energy Data Book," table 2.10, here; and the Federal Highway Administration's "Highway Statstics Series," Table MF-21, here. I used 2005 data, the most recent available for comparison; and for rhetorical purposes I assumed that driving emissions are equally distributed across each hour of the year, which they aren't.

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Comments

Posted by eldan 01/24/2008 05:25 PM

I think it's also worth bearing in mind that leaf blower emissions are much more completely pointless than those from cars, which are at least achieving a useful task most of the time. It seems fairly analogous to the compressed HFC canisters used to clean out keyboards when the keyboard could simply be turned upside-down and shaken instead (please excuse my being too lazy to dig up a link to the post about that)....

Posted by Arie v. 01/24/2008 11:50 PM

I inherited a leaf blower and have only used it to help small burn piles burn hotter. (Okay that makes me look even worse.) I rake my leaves.

Here is something interesting I've thought about. I live in a heavily wooded area on acreage, sould it be better for me to (a) truck out wood debris or (b) continue to burn or (c) buy a chipper? This is heavily forested and we get a few downed trees every year that contribute to the debris and some clean up is required for fire safety.

I'm thinking about trucking out in the future as there is a wood recycler nearby, but that means not retiring my pickup. We may face a burn ban soon in Puget Sound so this may come down to (a) or (c).

I know the point is that such things may not add up to much, but I can't help but think that even little things count. Awareness about leaf blowers alone may be helpful in changing attitudes towards bigger things.

Posted by Dan 01/25/2008 12:42 AM

I, personally, would go in with a couple neighbors for a chipper, Arie, and mulch your gardens. paths, under the deck (away from piers), etc. Someone always wants mulch and they can back their truck up to the pile.

Posted by sf 01/25/2008 10:42 PM

Well, at least my snowblower isn't a big deal, and my neighbor is usually using his at the same time. But I really should put in a flat gravel parking spot at the top of my 400 foot driveway so I can get out without 4 wheel drive this time of year

Posted by Arie v. 01/26/2008 10:23 PM

I like the community chipper idea. We'll likely exclude the neighbor who still burns his trash though.

BTW, If you're looking for mulch we get it for free from Earth-to-Earth in Carnation and only pay trucking since we do other business through them. I imagine it's pretty cheap if you pull up with a pick up and just want a load full. For quality fill and our driveway we've been using them for recycled/crushed concrete as well.

Posted by Kevin Connor 01/28/2008 12:30 PM

"I think it's also worth bearing in mind that leaf blower emissions are much more completely pointless than those from cars, which are at least achieving a useful task most of the time."

I'm kinda surprised no one has called carhead on this yet. Leaf blowers move leaves from point A to point B. Cars move people and stuff from point A to point B. Both are useful. The presumption in favour of cars is entirely unwarranted.
Both are also overused. If a full accounting of costs is done, most car trips should be replaced with other means of moving people and stuff.

Posted by eldan 01/29/2008 10:00 AM

Kevin, I'm a little surprised too, to be honest. But I do think there's a meaningful difference - a leaf blower's job can be done almost as quickly with a rake (I know this because my condo association switched over, because people were tired of their indoor air smelling of petrol), whereas there are an awful lot of journeys in a 21st century US city that take far longer by any mode other than car.

That said, I think your conclusion is pretty much right. I just think the utility of a leaf blower is so very low that they would completely die out if a full accounting of costs were done, whereas cars would merely be used less.

Posted by Alan Durning 01/29/2008 04:36 PM

My hunch about leaf blowers is that they are the closest civilian analog to flame throwers available for purchase. Many of us males grew up wishing we could own one of those things. ; )

(Don't whip me. It's supposed to be funny. I've never owned or even used a leaf blower. I use a rake, I swear. An old one.)

In truth, I wish I could swear off rakes, too. I wish I could just let the leaves pile up on the grass and decompose where they lie. My neighbors wouldn't be very happy, though: cult of the lawn, you know. They're already hard pressed to tolerate me for seeding the entire block with dandy lions. (I used to try to pluck them. Now, I consider them my primary crop.)

Posted by Jeanne 03/30/2008 04:27 PM

When you consider the environmental costs of leave blowers, please include manufacturing, shippinbg, maintenance and disposal. Add the noise and dust they send around the neighborhood and I think we should ask our communities to outlaw them.

Posted by Leaf Blower Pro 07/30/2008 05:31 PM

The sound of leaf blowers early in the morning are quite jarring...but, what else is one to use when living in the desert and unable to pick up all the desert debris, rocks, and sand but a leaf blower/sucker?

Posted by Rake It 07/30/2008 06:06 PM

Use a broom, a rake. Stop pollution.

Posted by Stihl Garden Augers 08/13/2008 03:51 PM

Yard equipment is constantly changing...companies come out with edgers, augers, leaf blowers that are easy to use, electric, and conserve more energy than the models of the past....So don't write them off yet. Wait and see what's to come next.

Posted by ladynada 10/15/2008 10:14 AM

Save Your City - Leave Raking Awareness Push

by ladynada
October 12, 2008 6:29 am EST

Nationwide across the United States, a Leave Raking Awareness Push has started in communities feeling the pressures of the FALL SEASON. In Early October, no one should be SURPRISED that an urgency surrounds the growing threat of leave suspension, that visits us every year at this time. Why is the "Fall of 2008" so different?

Talks of Harvest aside, the aging population of Baby Boomers scattered across the united states of america are hard pressed to either rake their leaves themselves or pay to hire landscapers to do the tedious job for them. In the meantime, it is quite apparent, even this early on in October, that many homeowners will opt to "WAIT IT OUT" until all the leavings have SETTLED and then make the FINAL DECISION.

The threat of the leaves carried on the WINDS of CHANGE from other surrounding dwellings is just too great to sacrifice and the pay cost of removalS during the onslaught. With the secret machinations of these homeowners in mind, a great PUSH has swelled up to raise awareness among the YOUNG PEOPLE of the united states of america, to come to the FOUR, and STAND in the GAP.

This Leave Raking Awareness Push will not only solve the problems facing homeowners nationwide, but will also prepare those same people for the ripple effects of the Economic Crisis. By Enlisting the aid of younger able bodied and available teenagers and adults in your community, your town will be able to develop an enhanced social net of acquaintances and Caring.

The process by which each community must mobilize to effect the infrastructure necessary for children and young adults to meet after school and be counseled trained and equipped to then embark under adult supervision to lawn assignments throughout the neighborhood, would create linkages among social groups in towns that are necessary to have a disciplined response to economic hardships that may arise. Plus, we get all our lawns raked!

The resulting social network would re-constitute the people of the united states of america to a first name, everyone is my neighbor basis.

The Children would be the unifying factor and multiplier.

HOW TO DO CREATE A LEAVE RAKING AWARENESS PUSH in your AREA

Please, first come up with as many ideas as you can on your own. All I can really do is offer some ideas that have come to me here.

First of all, just sharing the IDEA of it, is enough to know that it can and will result in the NETwork being created. The reason is that the idea is so easy to implement on any scale.

Combining Money remuneration into your program can initially be the key. As you gather more people who like the idea and want to see it happen, devise ways to raise money from all areas of your city: households, businesses, churches, govts, everyone donate to a FUND from which to PAY the children for raking the lawns.

To see this part happen, you must blanket your city with advertisement of the idea through those same groups including your local newspapers. Do not forget to inform civil servants and Police, Fire Hospital and Ambulance peoples. Print up flyers about the IDEA and setup a date and time and a meeting at a civil meeting place, like town hall or high school... then set up more meetings to discuss the next week at more local places... as the idea spreads.. the kids will love it

for the next two months the kids can earn money and get to know their neighborhood. Adults who like to volunteer can chaperone work groups who can work the same area. Local residents can meet their neighbors kids and their neighbors.

At meetings, people can discuss the economic situation's impact on their city, and kids are present too... so more open discussions will take place and more ideas will come up to prepare or help with problems as they arise.

so... thats enough... as you can see this can spread very easily as little or as much as your desire to see it happen in your city..