We’ll all breathe easier this summer, thanks to an ordinance banning gas-powered blowers in Oak Park that is now fully in effect. (Report violations, with addresses, to propertyissues@oak-park.us.) On top of greatly reducing a noise nuisance for everyone, the switch to electric blowers eliminates toxic emissions that pollute our air, especially for the workers who operate them for a living.
We can do even better. Formerly called leaf blowers, blowers have come to be used all season long to “clean up” after mowing. This is a recently invented and artificial “need.” Clippings left on lawns fertilize them as they break down; left on pavement, they quickly dry up and disappear.
So instead of blowing clippings into streets or onto neighbors’ property and raising clouds of dust that nobody wants, consider the job done after mowing. And skip bagging those clippings, another invented task, and let them feed your lawn. Your grass will be healthier.
If you use a landscaping service, tell them not to bag or blow clippings and to cut your cost accordingly.
Enjoy more summer, enjoy summer more!
Wendy Greenhouse
Oak Park