We shall provide links and articles here that show what damage blowers do and to provide a common-sense alternative or solution to the problems they cause.
Today's article sets the tone: it comes from North Carolina:
2007 08 23
Drought-induced insanity
By Ken Moore
Observations made from around town and the region during this summer-long drought have made me believe that our society is really insane.
Last week, while helping hand-water a native plant garden in Raleigh, making certain all the water went into the ground and not off onto the pavement, an awful noise from the Legislative grounds across the street made me turn to observe grounds staff mowing turf that was so short that it was difficult to distinguish between mown and un-mown areas. Accompanying the mowers were other grounds staff with leaf blowers, methodically walking along the curb blowing dust back and forth. This activity is a weekly routine.
That same day, driving into Hillsborough in the mid-afternoon, I observed impact sprinklers throwing water on the pavement and roadway in what was a faulty design to water a narrow strip of grass between the road and the parking lot of one of the fast food stops.
Across from my little house on the edge of Carrboro are two apartment complexes. There we have the weekly mowing of brown turf not high enough to meet the lowest mower blades. And I have listened to and watched accompanying leaf blowers go back and forth along all the walkways and roadside curbs blowing nothing but dust into the air. That’s air pollution, noise pollution and waste of diminishing fuel supplies. Back in the days when we had rain, I witnessed leaf blowers over at University Mall blowing water back and forth along the parking lot curbs; at least the dust was settled.
Then I see sprinklers throwing water over expansive lawns, the water blowing away in the breeze.
All those signs reading “We Use Well Water” seem to be license for freely throwing water about the landscape and encouraging more car washing with nary a concern for our lack of rain.
Finally the local papers are now describing that we are in an extreme drought and even some communities with muddy water coming through their pipes are beginning to set or consider setting water restrictions.
We must be insane.
We place a greater priority on short green grass than on big shade trees.
Community elected officials, town staff and business owners lack the resolve to establish guidelines for reducing waste of water and fuel, noise pollution and air pollution on urban and residential landscapes.
Contracts for weekly landscape maintenance, even during normal growing conditions, is foolish environmental pollution and waste of energy resources.
Landscapes mown and blown once every three weeks should suffice.
Three-weeks-tall grass is really not life threatening.
Taking refuge behind those “We Use Well Water” signs doesn’t impress me. All that well water is coming from the underground water table. Lots of folks like me don’t have access to city water but our well water is also dependent upon our shared larger water tables. We don’t appreciate other folks freely using the Earth’s groundwater with such disregard for the good of the community.
So, are we insane? As you move about your community, take note of how we behave, and you decide. When you see water running off of landscapes, see sprinklers blowing mist away on the breeze, see irrigation systems operating during rain showers, see mowers running over brown or short turf and see blowers just moving dust back and forth, bring sanity back to our actions.
Please stop and speak to the homeowner or business owner and let them know how you feel. After all, it’s not just my world. It’s also your living environment that is being wasted and polluted.
Footnote: Tuesday evening’s welcome rain registered an inch in my rain gauge and my three rain barrels filled to the brim. However, please note that our drought seriously continues. I pulled back the mulch under the Weaver Street Market trees and the soil below the mulch was still bone dry. Tree roots did not receive the much-needed moisture!!!
http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2007/08/23/drought-induced-insanity/#comment-6843
Please email me at Jack1132@yahoo.com. Let's start a Grassroots (pun intended) effort to eliminate dirt blowers.