A Greener Lawn

A beautifully manicured landscape – with green lawns, calming water features, flowering trees, and immaculate edging – is not the leading cause of air pollution in the United States. But it’s not last: far from it. That’s because achieving curbside appeal requires powered equipment. A fleet of powered equipment, in fact; and such equipment is rarely conducive to greener living. This article will detail the impact of lawn mowers and lawn equipment, help improve your water and gas usage, and teach you how to maintain your lawn mower parts to enhance their efficiency.

Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Your Lawn Mower

Lawn equipment belches out nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds 11 times more toxic than an automobile. Meanwhile, homeowners focus on their fountains. They linger on their lawns. They rationalize the ends to justify the greens with quips like, “beauty is pain,” or “expensive, but worth it,” without considering the price paid by our planet.

The Environmental Price

So, just how expensive is it? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, five percent of air pollution in the United States comes from cutting the grass. That doesn’t include damage caused by chemical fertilizers, leaf blowers, snow throwers, hedge trimmers, or grass clippers. And it definitely doesn’t mention water sprinklers, which are essential for managing a lawn’s seemingly unquenchable thirst.

Some Unpleasant Facts Emissions come from more than automobiles: Four of the primary components in air pollution are hydrocarbons, particulates, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The emissions from using your lawn mower for one hour are roughly the same as driving your car 40 miles.