7 October 2021

Campaign to Ban Leaf Blowers

 

Campaign calling on Harrow Council to BAN leaf blowers

Harrow Green Party are campainging for Harrow Council to ban the use of petrol leaf blowers from all public spaces that they maintain, throughout the year.  We are calling on Harrow Council to ensure the termination of the use of petrol leaf blowers by their contractors, in-house environmental team and affiliate organisations. 

Leaf blowers are a serious health, safety and environmental hazard, causing noise and air pollution, damaging both users and communities' health, wellbeing and hearing. They are hugely detrimental to the envrionment, destroying wildlife and natural habitats, whilst contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.  See below a full list of all the reasons why leaf blowers need to be banned.

It is possible!

In 2011, Camden Council and the University of London banned leaf blowers during the spring and summer months. Many other countries have also limited or outright banned leaf blowers in recent years, such as numerous US states and cities, including New York's Central Park and most recently, California. In 2019, Germany's government issued a statement that leaf blowers must only be used if completely necessary.

Sign the petition and email Harrow Council

• Please sign and share the 'Harrow Council Ban Leaf Blowers' petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/harrow-council-ban-leaf-blowers/
  
  
• Please also email your local Harrow councillors, plus email Harrow Council's Envrionmental Services to express your concern and the need for leaf blowers to be banned.
• The more people who email, the more the Council will understand the importance of this issue:
• Find your local councillors here + email Environmental services here: environmental.health@harrow.gov.uk

Reasons to BAN leaf blowers:

• Noise pollution - disturbance of local neighbourhoods. Operators need to wear ear protection, but nearby residents unfortunately don't have that option.
• Damaging hearing of both operators and people in close proximity. Leaf blowers can be as loud as 105dBs - any sound above 85dBs can permanently damage hearing.
• Air pollution - studies have shown that petrol leaf blowers emit oil and petrol fumes similar to the exhaust of lorries
• Carbon emissions - petrol leaf blowers absorb oxygen from the air, whilst releasing high levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and other hydrocarbons
• Pushing dust and dirt into the air - with air speeds up to 250mph, leaf blowers push particles (including pollen, mold, animal feces, heavy metals, and chemicals from herbicides and pesticides), into the air aggravating asthma, hayfever and other breathing conditions, particularly amoung children and the elderly. This can also cause respiratory diseases & potentially prove fatal to users' caused by inhalation of dust.
• Disrupting and destroying animal's habitat - animals may be foraging, nesting or hibernating under leaves
• Scaring birds and other wild animals such as, hedgehogs, rabbits mice and shrews etc
• Killing insects and other wildlife such as, ladybirds and butterflies etc
• Damaging soil and destroying plant seeds - leaves or branches blown away, hindering the formation of ground nutrients and the growth of new plants
• An inefficient way of clearing leaves - they are often blown back as soon as the leaf blowing finishes.

 

 

Harrow Green Party's campaign has featured in Harrow Times.

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