The sound of your Saturday morning might be about to change forever because your favorite gas-guzzling tools are officially on the chopping block. According to the Environment America Research & Policy Center, gas-powered lawn mowers emit millions of tons of pollutants annually, with one hour of mowing equaling 300 miles of driving. Kirsten Schatz, a clean air advocate at CoPIRG, notes that more communities are taking action each year to address this “shocking amount of pollution” from yard equipment.
Currently, over 200 local governments across the U.S. have already passed restrictions on these noisy back-savers. We should all prepare for a much quieter (and battery-heavy) future in our sheds.
Gas-powered leaf blowers
These tools represent public enemy number one in suburban noise wars. Research shows these blowers can produce noise levels of 95 to 100 decibels, which explains why my neighbor looks like he’s wearing heavy-duty earmuffs at a rock concert. States like California have already banned their sale, and Washington, D.C., fines officials who catch you using one at $500. Operating a commercial blower for just one hour spews the same smog-forming pollution as driving a car 1,100 miles.
Who actually wants to breathe in exhaust while clearing a simple walkway? According to the City of Portland, Oregon, Portland just voted to phase these out starting in 2026, aiming for a total ban by 2028. Switching to electric alternatives might save your hearing and your relationship with the people next door. Ever wondered why the sound of an electric blower is so much easier on the ears?
Traditional lawn mowers
Your trusty push mower likely faces a similar fate very soon. California started the trend by banning the sale of new gas-powered “small off-road engines” (SORE) in 2024. Experts estimate that 54 million Americans mow their lawns every weekend, burning 800 million gallons of gas a year. Most people don’t realize that using a gas mower for an hour produces the same emissions as 11 new cars running for that same hour…