Dear Menlo Park City Council,
I am a former Mayor, City Councilperson and since 1988 Have been a homeowner in the Willows neighborhood. I am one of the 300 residents who signed a Change.orgpetition to ban gas powered leaf blowers in Menlo Park.
In this time of climate crisis, I urge you to consider banning gas leaf blowers within our city as many cities have also done. Although each Leaf blower does not emit as much CO2 as the gasoline powered vehicles on our roads, they do contribute to greenhouse gasses and their fossil fuel emissions do create smog and dust pollution that is detrimental to our health.Moreover, as has become evident during these many months of staying at home due to the pandemic, these machines create very disturbing noise pollution. People like me who are working from home (and children trying to learn online) can lose focus with the constant drone of gas leaf blowers. Electric blowers are much quieter than gas powered blowers.
Electric leaf blowers have become much more powerful and efficient as battery technology has improved and there is no reason that an electric blower could not be used to accomplish the same tasks that gas blowers now do. While there may be equity issues in requiring landscapers to purchase new equipment, this is a problem that can be solved with some creative thinking.
Please move forward on this now,
Gail Slocum
205 Pope St, Menlo Park
415 515-2892
