The Tyranny Of Leaf Blowers

There is no escape from the deep-throated roar and the clouds of filth produced by these machines.

There is no escape from the deep-throated roar and the clouds of filth produced by these machines.

By

[Guest Writer, Roseanne Laan, is a graduate of Western Washington University with a degree in Journalism and Environmental Studies. Her hometown is Bellingham, Washington where she enjoys organic gardening, bicycling, and volunteering.]

Leaf blowers are nothing new but they have become a hot topic due to their incessant noise and dangerous pollution. Blowers are ostensibly used to “clean up”  areas such as parking lots, yards, sidewalks and gutters. But there is a growing backlash of complaints about them because of their loud noise, exhaust fumes and the toxic debris that gets blown into the air.  The noise that emanates from them can be as high as 90 decibels.  Prolonged exposure can cause hearing loss and other ear damage according to the CDC.  Blowers force toxic plumes into the air at a speed of up to 200 mph.  This material can include brake dust, heavy metals, engine oil, animal feces, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides. The resulting particulate matter is suspended in the air even after the leaf blowing has stopped. 

“Inhaling these substances in large quantities and with such velocity can have serious and insidious health consequences.” as stated by Quiet Clean PDX, a volunteer organization that has been working to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers in the Portland area since 2018.

Bellingham is a wonderful place surrounded by natural beauty, however our beloved environment is in jeopardy from encroaching forces. Habitat degradation and loss is imminent and we need to protect it.  Pristine lawns and artificial landscapes come at a cost as adamantly stated in an article, “View from the Garden: This Blows – Leaf Blowers Ruining Your Garden by Jeanelle Myers:

“Bad for plants. Leaf blowers upset topsoil, compost and mulch from the garden. We weed, then the weed seeds are blown right back into place. We apply fungicide and spores are blown back onto plants. Soil microorganisms are blown away, making plants less healthy so we use fertilizer. We blow leaves from under hedges and shrubs and then apply mulch.”   

Trees have been dropping leaves way before humans arrived and nature uses this resource as a living environment. Leaves provide food for plants, build soil, while creating habitats for insects and microorganisms without which we cannot survive.  When we expose the topsoil with blowers we are disturbing nature. By allowing the leaves to remain on the ground, we create a habitat for nature to take its course.

So, do we have a way of cleaning up our city and neighborhoods while preserving our habitat and sanity? I believe so. There are options among which is simply using a rake. We can pick up the trash, compost our leaves and use them as mulch.  

Minimally, blowers can be used at lower speeds to reduce the amount of toxins being spewed into our environment. Habitats for birds, insects and microorganisms can be spared for future generations.  

Solutions to the problems of leaf blowers don’t need to be drastic. Just being aware and considerate of our neighbors. Noise rules can be arranged at certain hours of the day with lower decibel levels from blowers to ensure a peaceful existence amongst neighbors. We all share this planet and I want to see a future that includes natural habitats for every living thing to enjoy. 

About Guest Writer

Citizen Journalist • Member since Jun 15, 2008

Since 2007, this moniker has been used over 150 times on articles written by guest writers who may write once or very occasionally for Northwest Citizen, but not regularly. Some guest writers [...]

Comments by Readers

Tip Johnson

Nov 16, 2024

We may see yet more loud tyrannical blowing of toxic air. 
Great article!

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Michael Lilliquist

Nov 16, 2024

I won’t argue with many of the author’s valid points, but please realize that electric leaf blowers are increasingly common among homeowners, both corded and cordless varieties.  They are cheaper, lighter, quieter, and have zero emissions during use.  And if the power supply is solar or other renewables, then there is no emission at the generation side, either.  So, it’s sort of like electric automobiles: not perfect, but much better that gas-powered.

Or you could just use a rake.

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Carol Follett

Nov 16, 2024

Thank you for bringing up this neighbour friendly topic, one that can be resolved at a community level.

Although this will be hard news for those who love to use these easy on the back tools. Of course what is one ‘s hard earned peaceful Saturday is to another a prized day to wage weekend garden “wars.” It appears to me that some folks enjoy donning the protective gear and wielding those noisy instruments like they were some space age weapon. However, you make several important points about how unhealthy the discharge of the particulate matter is. 

You have some very good suggestions about ways we could compromise to reduce the ill effects of leaf blowers. Education is better than legislation whenever possible, so your article is a good beginning in that direction. Maybe we could start a polite discussion about this at our neighbourhood associations and share both concerns and some doable solutions. 

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