Should Bainbridge ban leaf blowers? | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 2:08 pm Friday, May 8, 2015

To the editor:

They may not be major culprits in the carbon-emission arena — though they do emit their fair share of pollutants — but they certainly are major culprits in the oh-my-gosh-that’s-irritating-noise! arena.

So, what if Bainbridge started a conversation about banning leaf-blowers? We could ask questions like:

Do leaf blowers save (any) time in tidying our lawns and sidewalks?

Are we increasing our risk of heart attacks if we switch to rakes and brooms instead? Or are we decreasing our risk because we’re getting more exercise?

How does the heat coming off leaf blowers affect the health of living plants in their path?

How does the noise they make affect neighborly relations?

What do you think?

JENNIFER MERRILL

Bainbridge Island