Could the solution to the big problem of climate change be as simple as banning leaf blowers? That’s part of the rationale Novato City Council Member Pat Eklund uses in recommending a total ban on gas-powered equipment like leaf blowers, weed wackers and lawnmowers.
The Novato City Council is currently discussing the Eklund idea. Eklund says the banning idea is not just for helping with climate change, but also for the peace and quiet for residents.
In a letter to the Council, Mark Schatz wrote:
“As someone who is one of the many people now working from home, and in my case I am teaching online college classes from my upstairs office, the noise of the leaf blowers has reached a point where it’s a constant annoyance.”
But Council Member Susan Wernick recommended caution before taking action. “I just want to be careful moving forward that we are aware of the financial impacts that this has not only on businesses but on individuals who care for their own properties.”
Council Member Eric Lucan worried about the social consequences and the policing mechanism.
“I don’t want to create a system of neighbors turning in neighbors and us having to be the mediator between the two. That’s not something I think we’re set up to do.” He also didn’t want the Eklund idea to have an unintended consequence of extending to portable generators.
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