A small group of neighborhood residents met in November to discuss how to move ahead on getting the City of Minneapolis to pass an ordinance banning gas-powered leaf blowers and other lawn tools.
We were joined by Kim Havey, Director of Sustainability at the City of Minneapolis, who provided useful information on initiatives already underway in the city (and the state) using rebates as incentives for those who make the switch from the noisier and dirtier gas-powered tools to the quieter and less harmful battery-powered ones.
Many professional lawn service companies resist the switch, saying that the battery-powered tools don’t last long enough and don’t have the power of the gas-fueled ones. And the battery-powered tools bring their own problems, from the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposing of the batteries, to the health impact of blasting particulates into the air, to the disruption of the natural protection that fallen leaves provide to insects and other critters.
Short of going back to rakes, or letting the leaves stay put, there is no perfect solution to the problem.
Havey told us that Parkway Lawn Service did take advantage of the rebate program and that other companies that are currently reluctant to switch will eventually realize that a ban is inevitable and by waiting they lose out on the considerable financial incentives to do so now.
According to Havey, there is interest among some City Council members in working on an ordinance, but it’s best to wait until the new Council Members are sworn in and committees are assigned.
So the blower brigade will take the month of January off and dream of healthier, quieter times ahead.
