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Another Earth-friendly tip that you might want to consider as we approach Black Friday is to replace your gas yard tools with electric ones. If you live in California you will be a step ahead of what’s coming because by 2024 the state will ban the sale of any gas-powered lawn equipment.
Assembly Bill 1346 targets Small Off-Road Engines (SORE), which are mainly used for lawn, garden, and outdoor equipment. While the engines are small, they have a tremendous negative environmental impact: operating a lawn mower for 1 hour is like driving a 2017 Toyota Camry about 300 miles. Operating a leaf blower for 1 hour is like driving a 2017 Toyota Camry about 1100 miles. In fact, the science shows that by the early 2020s smog-forming emissions from SOREs will exceed those of passenger cars in the South Coast Air Basin. Needless to say this tip of the week can make a major impact, but better yet it will save you money over time by switching from gas to electric.
In the past electric powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers weren’t as powerful as their gas powered counterparts, but over time the technology has improved to the point that they are being recommended over gas powered. Here is a link to some recommended electric lawn mowers
and leaf blowers. And here is a link to some rebate programs in California to get a little cash back.
If you’re tired of paying for maintenance for your lawn, revisit Week 65’s tip: Replace your grass with drought tolerant plants to simplify your lifestyle.
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