Advocacy group calls on Calgary to ban gas-powered leaf blowers

A local advocacy group is calling on the City of Calgary to commit to its climate emergency declaration and ban gas-powered leaf blowers from the city.

Project Calgary — a community-led advocacy group with a mandate to champion initiatives that help the city — launched the petition last week with the goal of presenting it to city council once it has amassed enough support.

In it, they said the significant pollution and excessive noise are completely avoidable and the decision is well within the city’s control. The petition had more than 1,700 signatures, as of Tuesday evening.

“Studies have actually shown that some of the smog-forming pollutants that cause respiratory problems are actually now seeing a greater contribution in the state of California from gas-powered lawn equipment than from the 14.4 million passenger vehicles in the state,” volunteer Peter Oliver said.

“It was fantastic they declared a climate emergency this fall as one of their first major moves, but that doesn’t do anything unless they take action.”

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Leaf blowers have been criticized over the years for their environmental effects due to their two-stroke engine, which can emit a combination of gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides.

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It is also uncomfortably loud — the noise pollution a leaf blower makes can trigger strokes and heart attacks, said experts.

Gas-powered landscaping tools can also be damaging to a person’s health by emitting carcinogenic fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and affect organ function.

“We know that people transitioning from their internal combustion vehicles is going to be a tougher move, but that same challenge doesn’t apply with leaf blowers,” Oliver said.

“There are plenty of practical, affordable, economic alternatives: everything from the classic rake to a snowblower for heavier snowfall, to also all the electric leaf blowers that are on the market.”

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5:11 Eco-friendly lawn-care tools

Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer commended the group’s efforts, saying the topic has started a conversation within city hall.

However, a final decision on the matter has not been made.

“Most of us learned for the first time yesterday some of the environmental impacts of leaf blowers, so there’s lots more conversation to happen,” Spencer said.

“Ultimately, there’s been nothing committed to this. We’ve just started a conversation.”

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Other city councillors disagreed with the petition, saying there are more important issues to focus on.

“I think we have more important issues to concentrate on – like the affordable housing, the taxes, the mental health. We have a lot of different things we should be focusing on,” Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said.

“You ban the leaf blower and then what’s next? The lawnmower? Maybe just ban lawns? I don’t know.”

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— With files from Radana Williams, Global News