To Preserve Urban Wildlife, Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

In October 2021, New York State Senator Peter Harckman introduced a bill that would ban the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment, such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers, by 2027 across the state [1]. This type of equipment is a major source of harmful air pollutants, like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrous oxide [2]. Less discussed, however, are the harmful effects of pollution caused by gas-powered lawn equipment. The Environmental Protection Agency categorizes noises above 85 decibels as harmful, and the World Health Organization has determined that a typical gas-powered leaf blower emits between 102 and 115 decibels of noise pollution [3]. Exposure to extreme noise is not only damaging to human ears, but it can also be detrimental to wildlife [4] [5]. Banning these devices would reduce noise pollution and would therefore be highly beneficial to the health of humans and the ecosystems we occupy.

Noise that comes from human-made sources (such as cars, planes and leaf blowers) is harmful to wildlife because it disrupts communication between animals, particularly birds, insects and amphibians [5]. For example, the rush of a highway or the roar of a lawn mower can overpower a bird’s call, making it more difficult for it to communicate with nearby birds and threatening its survival [5]. Furthermore, most noise pollution from human-made sources, such as highways and lawn equipment, is very loud and low in pitch [5]. These types of sounds are different from sounds that typically occur in nature, such as rain or the flow of a stream, which tend to be quieter and higher in pitch [5]. Because of this difference, animals often interpret human-caused noise as an environmental stressor [5]. Banning loud, gas-powered lawn equipment would for these reasons be beneficial to urban wildlife populations.

Protecting city-dwelling wildlife by mitigating noise pollution is not only important from a conservation standpoint. The animals in question serve critical ecological functions, known as “ecosystem services,” which both support ecosystems and tangibly benefit humans. Birds, for example, provide ecosystem services in the form of pest control and can function as pollinators in urban gardens [6]. They can also boost the economic and cultural value of urban parks by attracting tourists and local residents alike [6]. For example, the Ramble, a patch of woods in the middle of New York City’s Central Park, is home to over 200 bird species every year and is for this reason a popular destination for birdwatchers [7]. By banning gas-powered lawn equipment, cities and states can protect urban wildlife and enhance the ecosystem services these animals provide.

The bill introduced in the New York State Senate banning lawn equipment that emits harmful gasses comes on the heels of similar legislation from other jurisdictions. In October of 2021, California passed a law banning gas-powered leaf blowers that will go into effect in 2024 [8]. Washington D.C.’s ban took effect this year on January 1st of this year, after it was unanimously approved by the city council in 2018 [9]. Washington D.C.’s ban was passed three years before it officially took effect, with the intention of giving city residents and landscaping companies operating within the district an extended period of time to replace equipment in violation with the policy. Violators of the ban in the nation’s capital will be subject to fines up to $500, and residents can report complaints through an online form [10]. The municipal government urges landscaping companies and owners of gas powered leaf blowers to dispose of their equipment at the city’s household hazardous waste drop-off point. [10]. Banning gas-powered lawn equipment is not a novel idea, and it only makes sense that New York state follows suit.

Cities are not going anywhere anytime soon. It is therefore critical that city residents learn to coexist with wildlife and adapt our behavior in order to maintain our urban ecosystems. Banning leaf blowers in New York is just the first step in a critical fight to reduce human-generated noise pollution and protect urban wildlife.

References

[1] Reisman, N. (2021, Oct. 28). Lawn care equipment could go green in New York under a proposed new law. Spectrum News 1. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2021/10/28/lawn-care-equipment-could-go-green-under-a-proposed-law.

[2] Steyer, C. (2020, Nov. 17). Electric or gas leaf blowers… Neither? Washington University in Saint Louis Sustainability. https://sustainability.wustl.edu/rethinking-lawn-equipment -2/.

[3] Augenstein, N. (2020, July 3). Chevy Chase moves to ban noisy gas-powered leaf blowers. WTOP News. https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/07/chevy-chase-moves-to-ban-noisy-gas-powered-leaf-blowers/#:~:text=Citing%20figures%20from%20the%20World,102%20decibels%20to%20115%20decibels.&text=Gas%20blowers%20also%20emit%20significant,pollutants%2C%20the%20task%20force%20said.

[4] Fong, J. (2021, Aug. 11). Is city noise making us sick? Vox.com. https://www.vox.com /22550899/noise-pollution-vox-glad-you-asked.

[5] Kunc, H. P., Schmidt, R. (2020, Oct. 6). Species sensitivities to a global pollutant: A meta-analysis on acoustic signals in response to anthropogenic noise. Global Change Biology.

[6] Baron, D. N., Gomez-Baggethun, E. (2013, Feb.). Classifying and valuing ecosystem services for urban planning. Ecological Economics. https://www.sciencedirect.com /science/article/pii/S092180091200362X?casa_token=gUybcuanGsMAAAAA:D_126JSYQXh2eDwL4G5oYhzqqOEZjPei9z3koV1aa6lL7g7BJWvfnqh4trf79yH-HFNgG-dfag.

[7] Bartels, M. (2017, June 2). The Insider’s Guide to Birding in Central Park, New York City. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/news/the-insiders-guide-birding-central- park-new-york-city.

[8] Willon, P. (2021, Oct. 9). California moves toward ban on gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers. LA Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-09/california-moves-toward-ban-on-gas-lawnmowers-and-leaf-blowers.

[9] Kurzius, R. (2021, Nov. 23). It’s D.C.’s final autumn with the grating symphony of gas-powered leaf blowers. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/11/23/1058309380/it-s-d-c-s-final-autumn-with-the-grating-symphony-of-gas-powered-leaf-blowers.

[10] Mendelson, P. (2018, Oct. 16). Report on Bill 22-234, “Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018.” Council of the District of Columbia. https://www.scribd.com/ document/390990052/B22-234-Leaf-Blower-Regulation-Amendment-Act-of-2018.