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Lawn Mowers

The Backstory

Noisy, gas-powered mowers are highly inefficient, contributing to greenhouse gases and small particle pollution, as well as to health problems such as asthma and heart disease.

Environmental Issues

An estimated 720 million gallons of gas are used each year to fuel lawnmowers , and the state of California estimates that people spill roughly 4 million gallons of fuel every year to refill their lawn care equipment. Furthermore, mowing for one hour with a gasoline-powered mower generates the same amount of pollution as driving a car for 20 miles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Personal Health

In 2006, fuel exhaust from lawn mower engines contributed, gallon for gallon, 93 times more smog-forming emissions than cars, according to the California Air Resources Board. According to the EPA, 157 million Americans are exposed to unhealthy amounts of smog, which not only aggravates asthma and leads to respiratory problems, but has also been associated with heart disease and stroke. The good news is that policy makers are currently working toward legislation that would impose stricter regulations and significantly reduce pollution from small, two-stroke engines, including those used in mowers. To comply with the new regulations, mowers would likely be fitted with catalytic converters, which reduce smog-forming chemicals and carbon monoxide and have been the standard on car engines for thirty years. In the meantime, choose an electric or reel mower that will keep the grass trim without the harmful emissions. Since this requirement has yet to go into effect, it's still wise to opt for less-polluting electric or reel mowers.