The ticket clinic, Spring into Lawn Mowing

[Blogger Man]

The ticket clinic, Spring into Lawn Mowing

Ahh. Spring arrives with the beautiful twittering of birds 
preparing their nests for the unborn. What - can't hear them? 
The low rumble of lawn mowers not only drowns out 
natures' symphony, but also disturbs skittish wildlife and 
sleepy neighbors.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some 
older gas-powered lawn mowers produce in one hour as 
much air pollution as a new car does in 11 hours. Lawn 
mowers newer than 1996 have to comply to new exhaust 
emission standards, which is a fantastic place to begin. 
However, these standards are not yet satisfying for the 
health of the world.
Gasoline-powered mowers produce a cut that results in 
greater water loss and increased disease problems in 
lawns. Although many are now made with 4-stroke engines 
(much less polluting than 2-stroke engines), they still 
produce emissions.
There is a returned interest in push mowers due to 
environmental awareness of gas engine pollution and 
electricity use. Typically, crowded cities are resulting in 
smaller lawns, reducing the need for large, heavy mowers. 
Push mowers are light and easy to operate and, being 
much smaller, take up less storage room and do not 
pollute. These mowers are actually quite cheap and many 
stores are rising to meet the increased consumer interest. 
We have read that 7-blade models are considered better 
than 5-blade models.
There are other choices on the market than electric, push 
and gas lawn mowers. There are solar-powered models, 
too. We read of one featured in Omni magazine that 
operated on its own, traveling the entire lawn area during 
the day and resting at night. It looked to be about the size of 
a vacuum power-head. Apparently, a special fence is used 
to keep it within the lawn boundary and there is a built in 
alarm to prevent theft.
Old defunct lawn mowers that are not operating still have 
some use. Remove the blade, motor, cords, wires and gas 
tank, leaving the four-wheeled caddy and its push handle. 
Secure a box to this and create a wheeled cart that is perfect 
for harvesting or toting material around the property.
The metal frame of most lawn mowers is recyclable and its' 
wheels are often prized by workshop-creation crafters. The 
motor and remaining parts might also be appreciated at a 
repair shop where they could be reused.
There are alternatives to traditional grass, from wildflower 
mixes to low-growing ground covers, which rarely need 
mowing. Landscaping a portion or the entire area with 
drought tolerant, wildlife supporting plants is a very 
environmentally active engagement that either eliminates or 
reduces mowing needs. And really, who couldn't use a little 
more time on their hands?
So get your exercise, reduce air and noise pollution; save 
yourself some money and have a healthier lawn. Or let the 
sun run the mower for you. Either way, the world will breathe 
a little easier and maybe you will hear a songbird or two.
-- Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the 
concept of their book, Trash Talk. The book offers useful 
solutions for the individual to reduce waste and better 
manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned about 
their impact on the environment.





      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.us.dell.com/pipermail/dkms-devel/attachments/20080103/19c8365f/attachment.htm