Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience.
Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.
– U.S. Surgeon General William H. Stewart (1978)
Media Articles
- The Origins of Quiet Princeton This Princeton Echo article describes the genesis of our organization
- The problem with gas-powered blowers and how DC got them banned This article by James Fallows perfectly describes the whole issue, the reasons why these devices are so harmful, and how a city moved to ban them
- The Star Ledger (NJ’s largest newspaper): 2021 Editorial describes GLB’s as a “Public Menace” and “Repulsive”
- New York Times: 2021 Lead Editorial “The first thing we do…”, and a2017 article “On Banning Leaf Blowers”
- New York Times: Electric and robotic Lawn Mowing is coming. The reasons why
- The problem with gas-powered blowers in NJ: a Fact Sheet A succinct summary, with references, of GLB problems and available alternatives. This was prepared for Montclair, NJ but applies to Princeton and most other towns too
- Rakes beat leaf blowers in actual use (1)
- Rakes beat leaf blowers in actual use (2)
- Origins of Quiet Lincoln: Genesis of another activist group
- WSJ – Hazard for Working at Home Leaf Blowers 2020 The Wall St Journal has run a number of articles on GLB problems. This article, on GLB noise when working from home, contains the important statement : “If you made a list of people wanting to get rid of gas-powered backpack blowers using simple two-stroke engines, landscapers would be first in line. No one’s closer to the noise than the landscape contractor who has the thing strapped on their back.” And that’s from a landscapers’ trade group.
- Eliminating Leaf Blowers: The myths of common objections
- Manufacturers can be a powerful lobby against improvements This 2006 article is now dated. It is a replay of Detroit’s initial resistance to those who wanted to clean up car exhaust. The largest lawn and garden equipment maker in the country and a powerful Republican senator were opposed in 2006, frequently with specious arguments. Attitudes are changing now, there is more environmental awareness, and we have battery-powered alternatives.
- Noisy but that’s not all Details the issues, including problems for the landscape workers, plus data on emissions from specific GLB’s and mowers
History of Leaf Blowers
1970’s Gasoline-powered leaf blowers (GLB’s) introduced in USA
1970’s Leaf blowers banned in a number of CA cities
1980’s Leaf blowers power and noise increases; Backpack leaf blowers introduced
1997 Princeton, NJ, initially rejects ordinance to control leaf blowers: see section below
1998 Los Angeles bans gas-powered leaf blowers within 500 ft of residences
2000’s Leaf blower use increases continually. Backpack units with increased power and noise become common
2017-20 Several East Coast towns introduce seasonal bans on GLB’s
2017ff Several major universities stop using GLB’s and convert to electric equipment2019ff Battery-powered electric mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers become increasingly available to consumers
2020 Due to Covid-19, more people are at home for work and school, and are disturbed by GLB noise and pollution
2020ff There is increasing awareness of the impact of GLB’s on worker health and on climate change
2020ff Several east coast towns and cities begin to introduce year-round GLB bans
2021 Princeton, NJ, introduces an ordinance to ban on GLB’s in summer and winter
2021 The State of California bans the sale of all gas-powered lawn equipment from 2024
- History of Leaf Blowers, and development of bans in California (through 1998)
- Wikipedia “Leaf Blowers”
Princeton, NJ Municipality
- Princeton passes an ordinance in 2021 (in this version presently available, deleted parts of the former ordinance are shown in [square brackets]) to ban on GLB’s in summer and winter. Here is a summary of key provisions
- A detailed historical timeline of leaf blower initiatives in Princeton
- Former Princeton Town Municipal Noise Ordinance 2014. This is now obsolete.
Elimination of Gasoline Leaf Blowers (GLB’s) and other actions by Municipalities and Universities
- Ordinances to control or prohibit GLB’s: Princeton, NJ, Maplewood, NJ, Sonoma, CA, Washington DC, Somerville, MA, Lincoln, MA, Larchmont, NY, Oakland, CA
- The State of California bans the sale of all gas-powered lawn equipment from 2024
- Hastings-on-Hudson, NY bans ALL leaf blowers in summer
- Maplewood, NJ, bans leaf blowers in summer, and South Orange, NJ
- Sonoma CALM has silenced leaf blowers in Sonoma, CA
- Blower bans in Rye, Aspen, Carmel, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles
- Harvard University stops using gas powered equipment
- Cal State LA University converts to electric lawn equipment
- Westchester County, NY: “Love Em and Leave Them” mulching program for cities
- Southampton, NY municipality stops using gas-powered equipment
- Leafblower Restriction Laws A state-by-state listing
Activist Organizations Addressing Leaf Blower Noise
- Quiet Communities. A nationwide organization connecting many groups on the community noise issue Jamie L Banks, PhD, MS, Executive Director Brochure
- Dr. Jamie Banks provides detailed information about the toxic effects of GLB’s, especially noise
- American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA.net)AGZA conducts training and certification for best landscaping practices, including battery-electric equipment. They are conducting workshops in Princeton.
- QuietCleanDC.com They spearheaded the DC ordinance banning GLB’s
- QuietCleanPDX (Portland, OR) Working to introduce a GLB ban in Portland, OR.
Noise Levels, Disturbance, Health Effects
- Evidence on the effects by Dr. Jamie Banks Banks evidence to DC 2018 with excellent information and graphics
- Noise of Gas vs Electric Leaf Blowers This graphic by Dr. Jamie Banks shows that the low-frequency noise of Gas blowers penetrates much further from house to house than an electric one of the same measure decibel level.
- The Devil’s Hair Dryer: Hell is Other People, with Leaf Blowers
- What is a safe noise level?
- CDC “Too Loud Too Long” dangerous noise levels
- Leaf Blower Facts (Sacramento, CA)
Covid-19: Impacts of Lawn Equipment Pollution
- COVID-19 and Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers: A Lethal Combination Detailed Report by Quiet Communities June 2020
- Impacts on Covid-19 disease: Harvard study , Netherlands study and its source publication
Pollution caused by Leaf Blowers and other Lawn Equipment
- The State of California has concluded that pollution from garden equipment will exceed that from cars (even in California!) and is considering pollution regulations
- Graph of increase in garden equipment pollution in CA
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) data on lawn equipment pollution
- Leaf Blowers emit 30 to 100 times the pollutants as cars and trucks (Chart from Edmunds Inside Line) Full Article
- Lawn Equipment pollution was 81% that of cars in 2016 and is increasing (EPA)
- Gas-powered Mowers are also significant: they cause 5% of US air pollution
Battery-Electric Lawn Equipment
- Electric Leaf Blowers, Mowers, and Trimmers: Consumer Reports, Aug 2020 The lower costs and increasing power of batteries has led to a great increase in availability of battery-powered leaf blowers, trimmers, and mowers, both for consumer and commercial use. Here are some good recommendations.
- Battery-powered leaf blowers, mowers, etc. are now readily available from hardware stores, large “box” stores, and other places, and online. Check these possibilities–there are many to choose from now.
- California Air Resources Board Directory of Electric Equipment A detailed list of products from US manufacturers. Click on “Leaf Blower–cordless” or “Mower–cordless” for the lists. But this list makes no selections or recommendations.
- The Future of Battery-powered Equipment This 2019 article, published in a leading magazine for green industry professionals, highlights the accelerating shift from gas- to battery-powered equipment in the commercial landscaping industry.
Better Landscaping: Mulching the leaves and other actions
- Leave the Leaves in Place and The Benefits of Mulching
- Equipment to use for mulching-in-place
- How to use leaf blowers better, and less Brookline, MA brochure
Sustainable Landscaping–beyond just leaf blowers
- The Changing the Landscape project described
- Sustainable Princeton’s Changing the Landscape: Healthy Yards=Healthy People project
- Sustainable Landscaping at Sustainable Princeton
Princeton, NJ Organizations with Related Interests