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« Real green heroes | Main | If you break it, you should pay for it »

April 20, 2007

Mowing down emissions

As spring blossoms into summer and rusty lawn mowers begin to creep out of the dark corners of garages, our traditional yard maintenance machines will meet new criticism for their eco-shortfalls. On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule that would require catalytic converters for small engines under 25 horsepower, commonly found in lawn mowers, generators, and other devices. According to the Marketplace Morning Report, this legislation could reduce small-engine pollution by as much as 70 percent. In certain parts of the US, the simple act of trimming grass produces one-tenth of summertime smog pollution from mobile sources.

Let’s face it—lawn care doesn’t exactly have the best environmental track record. Toxic pesticides too often grace our backyard treasures, obliterating dandelions without remorse and posing health risks to unsuspecting children who refuse to sit inside on pretty days to avoid hazardous chemical exposure. In more arid regions, lawn watering restrictions turn the summer months into enforcement nightmares, as cities and towns attempt to dole out limited water resources to a crowd thirsty for a Jones-style yard.

What most folks don’t realize is that grass actually produces fewer weeds and requires less water when left a bit shaggy. Add the EPA’s proposed small-engine catalytic converters to sensible lawn care practices and perhaps the grass will be a shade greener, after all.

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