A new petition for the District of Saanich, calls for the municipality to take the crucial action of immediately deciding to phase out highly polluting gas landscaping equipment.
Petition · Phase out Highly Polluting Gas Landscaping Equipment in the District of Saanich
Background:
In 2021, a Motion was put forward by Saanich’s previous Mayor, Fred Haynes to ban gas powered leaf blowers. Saanich Council at the time, instead used an excuse of preferring to discuss noise pollution in general, that in effect was used to squash the motion to ban gas powered leaf blowers.
A year later, in 2022, the District of Oak Bay demonstrated remarkable leadership by unanimously voting to phase out all gas landscaping equipment after a 3 year and a half year timeframe.
In the fall of 2022, a new Mayor and Council in Saanich were elected. Although they have done nothing about this serious environmental/health issue after almost 3 years, despite repeated calls to do so throughout their term, there are some signs that they may finally be willing to consider the issue before their term is over.
Time is well overdue for action:
Leaf Blowers Destroy the Environment – The New York Times
“The gasoline-powered leaf blower exists in a category of environmental hell all its own, spewing pollutants — carbon monoxide, smog-forming nitrous oxides, carcinogenic hydrocarbons — into the atmosphere at a literally breathtaking rate.
This particular environmental catastrophe is not news. A 2011 study by Edmunds found that a two-stroke gasoline-powered leaf blower spewed out more pollution than a 6,200-pound Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck. Jason Kavanagh, the engineering editor at Edmunds at the time, noted that “hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a Raptor.”
The two-stroke engine found in most consumer gas-powered leaf blowers is an outmoded technology. Unlike larger, heavier engines, a two-stroke engine combines oil and gas in a single chamber, which gives the machine more power while remaining light enough to carry. That design also means that it is very loud, and that as much as a third of the fuel is spewed into the air as unburned aerosol.”
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Particulate matter from leaf blowers can be highly damaging to health, even fatal:
“The engines on gas-powered leaf blowers create air pollution that can cause significant impact to the lungs.
“A combination of chemicals that contribute to ground-level ozone, as well as fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) can be inhaled by people using the equipment, as well as people nearby. Even short-term exposure to particle
pollution and ozone-forming chemicals generated by the machines has been proven to cause or contribute to health concerns like:
Asthma, Heart Attacks, COPD, Cardiovascular Disease, Early Death ”
Leaf Blower Factsheet_final ” Leaf Blowers Leave Lungs Vulnerable” (Respiratory Health Association)
Determination Particulate Emission Rates from Leaf Blowers (EPA.gov)
News Feature: How air pollution threatens brain health – PMC
Are Leaf Blowers a Hidden Health Hazard That Should Be Banned? | by Dr. Patricia Farrell | Medium
“Due to the harmful pollutants they emit, gasoline-powered leaf blowers are known to have several detrimental effects on health. These pollutants pose major health hazards, including irreversible hearing loss and hypertension. They can also worsen cancer risk, increase the risk of hematological and immunological abnormalities, and worsen respiratory issues.
Gas-powered leaf blowers release formaldehyde, benzine, fine particulate matter, and smog-forming pollutants that have been linked to health issues like dementia, headaches, asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, cancer, and dizziness. These harmful health impacts are particularly dangerous to children, the elderly, and those who have chronic conditions. And the emissions from these units are in the tons of yearly pollutants.
In addition to the health dangers brought on by the pollutants, gasoline-powered leaf blowers have been demonstrated to have a severe effect on children’s cognitive development. The force of air from the blowers is extraordinary, with some units having wind speeds up to 270mph.
Leaf blower use has been linked to a number of health issues, especially for people who operate blowers. High pollution and fine particulate matter (PM) emissions from leaf blowers can damage the respiratory system. Additionally, the high-intensity, low-frequency noise produced by gas-powered leaf blowers can impair the hearing of those nearby and cause hearing loss after two hours of continuous use.”
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The high decibel noise from gas landscaping equipment, not only causes stress in human populations, it also causes major amounts of stress on many non-human species that seriously disrupts local ecology.
For the many critical reasons above, gas powered landscaping equipment should be eliminated in the District of Saanich for the health and well-being of all life in the district.
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Sasha Izard is a resident of Saanich, and considers that preserving the environment in the District has become an existential issue for its ecology, that requires immediate and effective action.