Our report, Small Machines, Big Pollution, details the outsize impact dirty gas-powered lawn and garden equipment has on our state's ozone problem.
After another Colorado summer with over 40 “Ozone Action Alert” days, CoPIRG Foundation released a new report on Thursday that shows that shifting away from dirty gas-powered lawn and garden equipment to readily-available electric and battery-powered ones could achieve nearly one-fifth of the reduction needed to address the Front Range region’s unhealthy ozone pollution.
The report, Small Machines, Big Pollution, details how much pollution gas-powered lawn and garden equipment produce.
For example, operating a commercial gas-powered lawn mower for one hour can result in as much ozone-forming emissions as driving a 2017 Toyota Camry from Trinidad, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Even worse, operating a commercial gas-powered leaf blower for just one hour can result in a staggering amount of ozone-forming emissions – approximately the same as driving 1,100 miles from Denver to Calgary, Canada.
For over a decade, Coloradans living along the Front Range have been exposed to dangerously high levels of ozone pollution. Take action to strengthen the state’s ozone plan so we can have clean air in Colorado.
