Lawnmowers are the loudest polluters in the neighborhood

I may risk dating myself here, but I vaguely remember this strange contraption in our garage when I was quite young (yes, very young in fact).

It had a spool of horizontal blades with a heavy weight that looked like a rolling pin and a large T-handle that came upward. My dad called it his lawnmower. (You may have wondered: The prototype for that popcorn machine toy that toddlers push around, with the colored balls bouncing around inside, called a lawnmower? This is it!) It was so heavy that with all my might I may be able to get it to budge ... a bit.

Of course, this was quite a while ago, it was pretty rusty, and things have come a long way. It turns out, like most things, that was the most Green way to cut your grass.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10 percent of all of the United States air pollution comes from lawn equipment. Items such as mowers, chain saws, golf carts (I’ve never considered that a golf cart to be “lawn equipment”), trimmers and blowers. Half of that 10 percent is contributed by lawnmowers alone! More fuel is spilled by American consumers topping off their lawn equipment than was spilled by the Exxon-Valdez oil tanker in 1989!

Imagine driving your car for 100 miles then coming home, getting out your gas mower, and mowing your yard for an hour. You’ve actually caused more pollution by mowing your yard, then by your 100 mile trip! The lawn equipment mentioned above emits as much as 25 percent raw, unburned gasoline.

Sure, some exhaust regulations are in place, but that requires everyone – you, the homeowner, landscape specialists, golf-course management – and all other gas equipment owners to keep equipment maintained. It’s not always easy and not always done.

There are a few workable alternatives. Some may say electric power equipment is the answer. For those who can’t, or don’t want to look at any other alternatives, this is better than gas-powered equipment. Electric mowers are up to 75 percent quieter than gas mowers and you can mow in the direction away from the cord. If you can think of your lawn like your living room carpet, and use a “vacuuming” motion to mow. You’ll have fewer problems with the cord.

Folks also have had some luck with rechargeable electric equipment. Some manufacturers boast that you can mow up to a half acre on one charge, but consumers report that it is closer to a quarter acre. Still, a quarter acre on one charge is pretty darn good. The downside to these is that a rechargeable battery requires a lead-acid battery, which eventually needs to be recycled and replaced.

There is the ol’ reel mower, like dad used to have. It doesn’t have any horse-power, only human-power. But with sharp blades, a well oiled-machine can breeze through your lawn. It’s quiet, so you can cut your grass anytime you wish and not disturb your neighbors. They have really improved these models, and reel mowers give a superior cut. They do not cut tall grass well, but once you’ve got the grass height under control, a reel mower is healthiest machine for your lawn ... and for you. You can stay fit and get your exercise, too.

Of course, one of the best alternatives is to continually put more and more of your turf into native plants. You can find lots of resources on planting with natives. The amount of water and the maintenance saved are well worth the small increase for the initial investment in these wonderful plants.  Check out www.grownative.com for more information.

With summer days coming upon us, I hope you find a Green way to keep your yard and lawn attractive, so you’ll be able to take some time to stop and smell the flowers.