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Community Corner

Alternatives to Gas Powered Lawn Mowers

Using electric lawn mowers, reel mowers and naturalizing a yard can help reduce pollution.

Several years ago I purchased a brand new, self-propelled gasoline powered lawn mower. At the time,  I had no idea about the amount of air pollution that is generated by gas powered lawn mowers.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average gasoline powered mower engine, in just one hour of use, will expel the same amount of pollutants as driving a car for 200 miles.

During hot summer weather these pollutants help to increase the amount of ground level ozone which contributes to poor quality outdoor air. Fortunatel,y there are environmently-friendly alternatives to using gas powered lawn mowers.

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Electric lawn mowers are available that run using an extension cord attached to an outlet or cordless models which use batteries for a power source. The advantage to using a corded model is unlimited operating time, but the operator needs to keep the cord out of the way of the mower.

A cordless electric mower eliminates the need for an extension cord while mowing, but its run time is usually limited to about an hour of use before recharging the batteries. The only source of air pollution caused by electric mowers comes from the power plant that generates the electricity to power the motor.

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A hand powered reel mower is another good alternative to a gasoline powered mower. Reel type mowers have been manufactured since the late 1800s and have greatly improved in ease of use during the last hundred years. No longer made of cast iron, and difficult to push, a modern reel mower is light weight, easier to push, creates no air pollution, and provides the operator with some good exercise.

The main drawback to using a reel mower is tall weeds or grass can be left standing since the mower blades are not able to cut the taller stems. To avoid this situation when mowing the American Lawn Mower Company (www.reelin.com) recommends not letting the grass get too tall and to mow the lawn in one direction and then again at 90 degrees to the original direction.

Another alternative to using a gas powered lawn mower is to reduce the size of the lawn or completely eliminate using turf grass. The Lawn Reform Coalition (www.lawnreform.org/) recommends using slow growing grasses or planting native trees, shrubs, and perennials in place of a traditional lawn.

While this approach to landscaping a yard may seem a bit radical, photos on the website of the transformed yards show that these outdoor areas can be quite attractive. A yard landscaped in this manner may not work for families with small children, but it would certainly be something to remember once the kids have grown.

It is important to consider the size of your yard if you are thinking about using one of these alternatives to gas powered lawn mowers. Most suburban yards are a quarter acre in size which makes switching to an electric or hand powered reel mower a practical choice. However, if the lawn is an acre or more in size then it may be a good idea to begin reducing the size of the lawn by naturalizing the area with native trees and shrubs and keeping a smaller area of turf for recreation.

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