Live data from Hacker News

A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

theatlantic.com

91–100 of 176 posts

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#91
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In your original comment, you seem to advocate for banning groomed lawns, which is different than lifting a mandate in grooming lawns. Perhaps the mandate for groomed lawns could be removed without banning them? I wonder how effective that would be, knowing how ingrained in many cultures a "well-kept" yard is.

True. My words were uncareful and flippant response to outlawing one thing with the proposal to outlaw another. My end goal and what were said are close but not directly in line. I don’t really care if a few crazies manicure their lawn, but it shouldn’t be a forced standard. Everyone doing it is terrible for the environment.

Any communities where you have a critical mass of people with spare fucks to give about their neighbors' power equipment is already rich enough that most people are going to have landscaping far in excess of the bare minimum because they can afford it and they like it or feel obligated by social norms to do it, basically the same bunch of reasons you find 2-child households owning 4Runners and people who barely cook owning a bunch of fancy cookware.

Lifting a ban won't do squat because it only affects a tiny minority. The only reason the laws and HOA rules even exist in the first place is because most people in the effected jurisdictions already kept a lawn and so nobody cared to raise any opposition when the jackbooted types wanted to force the few nonconformists to conform.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#92
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> landscapers would be paid more Landscapers with leafblowers would outcompete landscapers with rakes.

I think the point was that since they banned gas leaf blowers, they might as well have banned all leaf blowers, leaving nothing but hand tools. Of course someone could invent a hand-cranked blower or something... would be interesting to see exactly what loopholes in the legal wording people would find.

What? No. There's still electric leaf blowers allowed. They exist and work fine (but are a little more expensive)

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#93
post #11

Living in Europe, most people just leave fallen leaves alone. I've never seen someone use a leaf blower except for dust etc. Is it a uniquely American thing to obsess over tidying up leaves?

Part of it is because of lawns, if you have a lot of trees the leaves can simply smother your lawn. But even in cities there’s reasons to clean them up. They clog drains, they lump together in the gutter creating blockages that cause large puddles when it rains, they stain the pavement, they decompose on the sidewalk and people track it everywhere in buildings, and more. Maybe you don’t see these as problems that nee…

In some places they're a hazard. They get wet, people slip. Especially cyclists when the leaves get into the bike lane.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#94
post #75

I live in DC, a few bits of info about why it makes sense here, and may not make sense in your home: 1. They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. My building has an electric Milwaukee that was 200 bucks and lasts all afternoon on a battery or two. 2. This isn't about people wanting to manicure their lawns out in the burbs at 7a…

I would really wish other cities followed suit. And I propose to extend this to a ban on all devices with noisy and smelly two-stroke engines: chainsaws, lawn mowers, motor scooters etc. The scooters may not be a problem in Washington, but anyone who has ever been to an Italian or Spanish city can probably relate...

Wanna ban stuff based on noise pollution? Fine, I'll give up my gas mower as long as I never have to hear some jerk on a motorcycle blast through my neighborhood ever again.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#95
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would really wish other cities followed suit. And I propose to extend this to a ban on all devices with noisy and smelly two-stroke engines: chainsaws, lawn mowers, motor scooters etc. The scooters may not be a problem in Washington, but anyone who has ever been to an Italian or Spanish city can probably relate...

I agree with the sentiment but pragmatically I think we have to time bans to when replacements are really equivalent or better-- electric mowers in particular are still 4x the cost and get mixed reviews, and I don't think chainsaw usage is a huge civic problem here in DC, but I don't live next to any big parks. Maybe we could also go with making new ones illegal to sell, though we'd have to coordinate with MD and VA…

Battery-powered lawn equipment is definitely getting better. I find less runtime and a bit less performance a good tradeoff for my interchangeable head weedwhacker vs. a temperamental two-stroke engine that I use once a month or so.

However, electric isn't going to do the job for a sit on top mower as far as I know and, in general, professionals who are using their equipment all day long are mostly not going to find electric's tradeoffs reasonable.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#96
post #61

I live in DC, a few bits of info about why it makes sense here, and may not make sense in your home: 1. They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. My building has an electric Milwaukee that was 200 bucks and lasts all afternoon on a battery or two. 2. This isn't about people wanting to manicure their lawns out in the burbs at 7a…

> They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. While noise is an issue with gas blowers, the biggest issue with all kinds of blowers is how much air pollution they cause by putting dust back into the air.

The real problem with is actually is a popular lie with no basis in fact. If something is burning fossil fuels then that's almost certainly the fix with the most bang-per-buck. Especially 2-stroke engines. Electrify everything.

But yeah, protective equipment for workers is still required with electric blowers and air quality matters.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#97
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people and companies have to buy new leaf blowers and batteries It seems hopelessly anachronistic and impractical, but why can't rakes be an alternative? It would take more time, but the landscapers would be paid more if they're working hourly.

My house has a lot of small rock landscaping for water drainage. You can't rake the leaves over that without taking all the rock with it.

One or two minutes of use should be enough to get those spots. The real issue is people who run things things for an hour. A time limit per day would be ideal.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#98
post #75

I live in DC, a few bits of info about why it makes sense here, and may not make sense in your home: 1. They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. My building has an electric Milwaukee that was 200 bucks and lasts all afternoon on a battery or two. 2. This isn't about people wanting to manicure their lawns out in the burbs at 7a…

I would really wish other cities followed suit. And I propose to extend this to a ban on all devices with noisy and smelly two-stroke engines: chainsaws, lawn mowers, motor scooters etc. The scooters may not be a problem in Washington, but anyone who has ever been to an Italian or Spanish city can probably relate...

California banned gas chainsaw sales last year IIRC. It was such a poorly worded law that firefighters and loggers have to go out of state to buy them, instead of it being a prohibition on suburban homeowners using them. The electric saws aren't practical in the woods at all because the battery and spares are so big and heavy. It's hard to beat the energy density of gasoline.

Also electric saws are a damn hazard compared to gas saws. They cut right through safety chaps, no problem.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#99
post #75

I live in DC, a few bits of info about why it makes sense here, and may not make sense in your home: 1. They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. My building has an electric Milwaukee that was 200 bucks and lasts all afternoon on a battery or two. 2. This isn't about people wanting to manicure their lawns out in the burbs at 7a…

I would really wish other cities followed suit. And I propose to extend this to a ban on all devices with noisy and smelly two-stroke engines: chainsaws, lawn mowers, motor scooters etc. The scooters may not be a problem in Washington, but anyone who has ever been to an Italian or Spanish city can probably relate...

Two stroke engines for new vehicles have already been effectively banned in the EU, and they are banned from the many ULEZ on the continent.

Re: A group of activists got leaf blowers banned in the nation’s capital (2019)

#100
post #43

I live in DC, a few bits of info about why it makes sense here, and may not make sense in your home: 1. They didn't ban leaf blowers, the banned _gas_ leaf blowers. Electric ones are quieter, inexpensive, and work just as well nowadays. My building has an electric Milwaukee that was 200 bucks and lasts all afternoon on a battery or two. 2. This isn't about people wanting to manicure their lawns out in the burbs at 7a…

> people and companies have to buy new leaf blowers and batteries It seems hopelessly anachronistic and impractical, but why can't rakes be an alternative? It would take more time, but the landscapers would be paid more if they're working hourly.

Leaf blowers are useful for things other than literally blowing leaves. I use one to dust out my car, garage, and also clean vacuum filters. Very carefully used it can dust off old PCs and laptops as well
Post reply on HN