Date: 2004-08-14 19:36:00
Tags: rant
noise pollution
Leaf blowers are quite possibly the world's most annoying appliance.
[info]dopplertx : Amen, brother!
2004-08-15T02:17:40Z
Besides the noise pollution, the way most people use them is just plain stupid... they just blow the leaves and grass somewhere else, making them someone else's mess to deal with.

I really hate when I ride by someone using a leaf blower and they don't have the courtesy to shut it down as I pass, so I end up getting dirt in my eyes.
[info]goulo : Re: Amen, brother!
2004-08-15T06:04:10Z
Also not to mention the air pollution. Totally stupid annoying harmful appliances. After some time traveller goes back in time to kill Hitler, he needs to then pay a visit to the guy who invented leaf blowers.
[info]ivo : Worse!
2004-08-15T16:11:14Z
You know what's even worse than a leaf blower?
[info]goulo : Re: Worse!
2004-08-15T16:18:33Z
Uh...

TWO leaf blowers?

A poop blower?

People who rant too much about leaf blowers?

Ok, I give up, what is worse than a leaf blower?
[info]ivo : Re: Worse!
2004-08-15T16:24:35Z
Indeed. two leaf blowers.

3 Decibels worse, as a matter of fact. (and we all know how loud Decibel is)
[info]decibel45 : Re: Worse!
2004-08-15T23:45:15Z
MOOOO!
[info]_fool : Re: Amen, brother!
2004-08-16T14:23:57Z
do the electric ones pollute the air too, well i mean outside of the factory that manufactures them, the truck that transports them, and the home despot which airconditions a zillion cubic feet 24/7? oh man, i just realized that i need to get busy buying that island in international waters to escape it all.
[info]goulo
2004-08-16T14:44:36Z
Well, the electric ones by definition consume electricity, which gets generated somewhere and thus pollution is indeed created from their use - the quantity depends on your electricity source. Which can lead to another higher level "making them someone else's mess to deal with" if the power plant is far from where you live. :) It is interesting how if we don't see the smoke directly resulting from our actions, we tend to think "there's no pollution!"
[info]_fool
2004-08-16T14:55:11Z
that reminds me that i need to call austin energy about subscribing to their
[info]goulo
2004-08-16T15:09:45Z
From what I can tell (as someone who's learned a bit more than average about it but definitely doesn't pretend to have a lot of knowledge) it's true that generating the same amount of power from a central generator is certainly better than having a bunch of crappy little gasoline engines generating it (gasoline lawn mowers are another example of a terrible polluter that people just take for granted), but central power generators can nonetheless be awfully polluting, and most indeed are. E.g. did you know that more than half our electricity in the US still comes from burning coal? (See http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanair/factsheets/power.asp for details.) Part of the problem is that an awful lot of power plants are very old, not meeting any kind of decent environmental guidelines - certainly we have the ability to generate power more cleanly, but apparently as a nation we lack the political will.
[info]_fool
2004-08-16T15:16:30Z
i'm so delighted that my desires are so thoroughly not represented/championed by my government, or even any potential government in the works. =/

but anyway, i signed up for the greenchoice renewable energy source thingie, so my electricity bill will increase accordingly. funny that 17% of its power comes from offgassing of landfills. yes, virginia, garbage is a renewable resource!
[info]goulo
2004-08-16T15:16:15Z
BTW you don't need to call Austin Energy, you can just easily subscribe via that website. :)
[info]cetan
2004-08-16T13:27:11Z
I used to think that, until I no longer had to rake leaves into piles.

Now, my parents were never one of those "blow the leaves out of the yard" type people, but in fact bagged the leaves for either the neighbors garden or for disposal.

But really, I used to not like them until I was able to reap the benefits.

Another nice thing about the newer ones that also server as suckers instead of blowers? You can mulch right into the bag, getting something like 8 bags of leaves into one.

But I digress, I'm in the minority here :)
[info]cetan
2004-08-16T13:33:41Z
"...that also server...."

that also serve

*rolls eyes*
[info]alanluck
2004-08-20T19:23:34Z
the only valid use for a leaf blower is using the motor from it to cool the amps in your car when they get too hot.
Greg Hewgill <greg@hewgill.com>