In Australia the holiday season is the season to use petrol gardening equipment all day, every day. Pythons, lizards, frogs and insects are simply shredded and mulched alive.

Robotic lawn mowers and fossil fuel gardening tools are shredding wildlife

"Scientists analyzed 370 documented cases of hedgehogs being injured (cut) by electric gardening tools in Germany. Almost half of the hedgehogs found ... did not survive the injuries. The data reveal a serious animal welfare and conservation issue for these specially protected animals, as most hedgehogs were only found hours or even days after the accidents." >>
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240123122229.htm

#biodiversity #wildlife #conservation #lawns #gardens #GardeningTools #robots #LawnMowing #machines #harm #gardening #WhipperSnipper #LeafBlowers #mowers #FossilFuel #RoboticMowers #GardeningEquipment #PlasticNetting

Image: Bracca matutinata (Southern Bracca), Bellingen, NSW

Walnut Creek has banned gas-powered leaf blowers.

Noise is the obvious pollutant that many focus on, but emissions from 2-stroke engines are startlingly toxic, including a mix of:

- Carcinogens (benzene, PAHs)
- Lung irritants (PM2.5, NOx)
- Toxic gases (CO)
- Smog-forming chemicals (VOCs, hydrocarbons)

Best is not to use leaf blowers at all (they lift topsoil into the air), but battery is orders of magnitude less harmful.

#Electrification
#LeafBlowers
#SFBayArea

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/04/02/ban-on-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-takes-effect-in-walnut-creek/

I was talking to my supervisor about the quietness of the snow day -- blissfully without #Snowblowers! I commented on how the same people were the ones with #Lawnmowers and #Leafblowers. My supervisor replied, "But everyone has those. At least where I live."
I replied, "We don't! We have a snow pusher and a couple of shovels, we leave the leaves alone, and when we do mow, it's either using a grass whip or a push-mower. No noise, lots of exercise!"

And yes, I hope to get our yard to the point where the grass whip is all we might need occasionally. I want to redo most of our *lawn* with native grasses and wildflowers.

#SolarPunkSunday #PushMowers #NoisePollution #LeaveTheLeaves

Top 10 Cordless Leaf Blowers and Garden Vacuums for Efficient Autumn Cleanup

The article reviews ten top-performing cordless leaf blowers and garden vacuums designed to simplify autumn leaf cleanup, offering insights from a seasoned reviewer who tested these tools in real-world conditions. Highlighted models include the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower, praised for its power and lo... [More info]

Replace your old gas-powered lawn and garden equipment with new zero-emission electric models!

The City of Thousand Oaks and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) are hosting a Lawn & Garden Equipment Exchange Event on Saturday, September 13th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will take place at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2010 Conejo Center Drive in Newbury Park.

Ventura County residents can bring their old equipment to be destroyed, complete a VCAPCD program application, and receive a voucher toward a battery-operated electric replacement of the same type. Participants must demonstrate that their equipment is operable to receive a voucher. Open to Ventura County residents only, no businesses. For more information, visit vcapcd.org/lawn-garden-equipment/ or toaks.gov/sustainabilityevents

#free #VenturaCounty #lawnequipment #leafblowers #ThousandOaks #ConejoValley