Black & Decker Interview with Paul Tukey |
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| Q: | SafeLawns recommends environmentally friendly ways homeowners can care for their lawns and yard. What are your group’s recommendations for cutting grass and trimming the yard? |
| A: | In some circles, it’s sacrilege to suggest that we ought to stop using gas-powered lawn mowers. But we need to do it, and now. SafeLawns just kicked off a new campaign “Get Your Grass off Gas” to help consumers switch from gas-powered equipment to clean electric and battery-powered lawn mowers and trimmers. Small gasoline engines, the ones associated with lawn mowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers etc., are some of the worst offenders in terms of air pollution and so-called greenhouses gases that warm the atmosphere. According to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources: “Gasoline-powered lawnmowers produce hydrocarbons (a major component of smog), particulate matter (which damages respiratory systems), carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) and carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming).” When it comes to caring for your yard, electric and battery-powered lawn and garden tools are undeniably a better environmental alternative because they produce no emissions in your yard. |
| Q: | Can you explain more about the environmental disadvantages to using gas-powered equipment? |
| A: | Gas-powered lawn mowers and trimmers burn gas, and therefore produce CO2 or VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions. You also have fuel spills. The bottom line is that electric and battery-powered mowers and outdoor power equipment produce no emissions in your yard. They are also less expensive to run, they’re quieter and start with ease. And let’s be honest. How many of you have actually filled the tank on your lawn mower, string trimmer or hedge trimmer without spilling at least some gasoline onto the ground — leading to dead grass. And how many of you have grown frustrated, emitting unprintable phrases, after pulling and pulling and pulling on a mower engine that just wouldn’t start? |
| Q: | In Safelawn’s outreach through your “Get your Grass off Gas” campaign are there any product recommendations you suggest? |
| A: | Before anyone harrumphs the idea of trading in their gas mower and two-stroke trimmer, understand that today’s electric mowers and trimmers are not your father’s models. Cordless mowers and trimmers now come with more powerful batteries that allow them to go virtually anywhere. With that said, if you have a large yard of more than one-half acre you will need a gas-powered lawn mower. Cordless electric lawn mowers do not have the runtime to compete with a ride-on mower. But you can still use electric and battery-powered hedge trimmers and string trimmers in large yards. Today’s string trimmers and hedge trimmers, etc. have more runtime and power, and most importantly produce no emissions in your yard. |
| Q: | Beyond the fact that electric and battery-powered yard equipment does not produce emissions, what do you like most about electric mowers, trimmers, etc.? |
| A: | They are easy to start. For many people, this is benefit No. 1: no more pulling of a cord. If the cord is plugged in or the battery is charged, pull a lever and your mower will start. Secondly, they are about 50 percent quieter than gas-powered equipment. In general, it’s still a good idea to wear hearing protection, even though the noise output of cordless and electric mowers is usually below the 85 decibel that the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders tells us can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. And I like that most electric and battery-powered mowers on the market today come with mulching blades as a standard option, which is better for the lawn and soil. As the grass is cut into fine pieces and “mulched” back into the lawn, nutrients are returned to the soil — minimizing the need for excess fertilizer applications. |
| Q: | What yard care tips do you have for people who want to be environmentally responsible in their yards? |
| A: | The www.SafeLawns.org website is a fantastic resource for information on how to make the transition to an environmentally friendly backyard. From mowing to fertilizing, and composting to watering, we have some simple solutions that can make a tremendous impact on the world in which we live. We also launched the SafeLawns Million Acre Challenge in 2007, where individuals can pledge to take their own backyards “Green.” The hope is to transition over one million acres by 2010. |