Yards on Fire- Gas Powered Lawn Equipment & Health- with Dr. Krane and Dr. Axelrod

The loud drone of gas powered lawn equipment is often part of the background noise in any community, but what do these machines cost us in terms of our health, the health of our children, and especially, the health of those who use these machines professionally? It turns out, they cost us a great deal.

Today I am joined by two doctors for children to talk about the impact of these machines in terms of their noise, emissions, and more. Dr. Elliot Krane, MD   joined the faculty of Stanford University in 1994 as the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology and is currently the chief of pain management.  Dr. David Axelrod, MD is a professor of medicine at Stanford University in the division of pediatric cardiology who has developed the Stanford Virtual Heart to teach about heart disease in children. 

We talk about two stroke engines, why they emit as much in a 30 minute period as a Ford F150 driving for 64 hours, and the impact on all of us, especially professional landscapers and their families. We also talk about potential equitable community solutions. Imagine, less noise and pollution and better health for all!

So what can you do?

1- If you are using gas powered lawn equipment, look into mechanical or electric alternatives, like an electric lawn mower or a good old fashioned rake. Learn more about the Ford F150 vs leafblower analysis here.

2- With climate change and increasing water scarcity as well as the need to avoid additional pollution, look into whether maintaining a grass lawn is really worth it in your area. There are often a host of alternatives that require less mowing and maintenance.

3- Consider getting together with neighbors to retire gas powered equipment and obtain your own or shared electric equipment. My personal goal is to work on reaching out to my own neighbors this fall to see if they would be interested.

4- Advocate in your own neighborhood, county, city or state to put programs in place to retire gas powered lawn equipment while ensuring those whose livelihoods depend on yard care are not penalized. For example, equipment swaps, purchasing and retiring old equipment, vouchers and grants for new equipment, etc are all options to consider.

5- Finally, consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, who works tirelessly on research into the air we breathe, how it affects our health, and informing policy makers to make health-centered policy.

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