Page 6 - Sonoma County Gazette 11-19

OPINION: Blowers are Harmful to Health
If you have ever wondered if the noise from blowers could hurt your health, the answer is “Yes!” Not only the noise level, but the pollution in the air we breathe and the air that goes up in to the atmosphere can hurt us.
The noise level from blowers damages hearing. Hearing loss from noise is permanent! Also, the noise level from blowers creates stress which affects blood pressure and the heart.
You may not be aware that blowers also cause air pollution. This is harmful not only to people nearby - workers, children and pedestrians - but also to the earth.
Altogether this is why cities* in Sonoma County and across the U.S. have banned gas powered blowers.
What about the laborers who are in the first line of exposure? In Petaluma the majority are Hispanic immigrants, as historically immigrants have taken the laboring jobs (Irish, Russian, Japanese, Vietnamese and now Hispanic.)
Noise Level: Blower noise is harmful to landscape workers, pedestrians, day sleepers, home workers, children, the ill and the disabled. (70 - 75 dB at 50 ft) Blower noise hurts gardener’s hearing. Hearing loss by noise is irreversible. In addition, such noise causes stress-related illnesses.
Air Pollution: Gasoline blowers emit carbon dioxide and solid particulate matter. Leaf blowers raise street dust which includes dog feces as well as lead, arsenic and elemental carbon. Such air pollution affects health of vulnerable populations, especially children with asthma and elderly with lung conditions. It irritates eyes, harms lungs, and causes cancer and premature death.
Climate Change: Carbon dioxide from gas blowers rises to the stratosphere and contributes significantly to greenhouse gases causing global warming and climate change. One gallon of gas becomes 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide.
The Garden: If you want a healthy landscape, blowers should NEVER be used on bare soil, especially under shrubs and trees. The blower removes topsoil along with the leaves, and compacts what is left. Compacted soil means sick plants. Healthy landscapes and gardens always have a layer of organic mulch on the soil.
Stand up for social justice and Hispanic workers
Since a large percentage of landscape workers in Petaluma are Hispanic, use of gas blowers disproportionately affects the health of Hispanics.
In the light of the Petaluma Climate Emergency and Social Justice, ask the Petaluma City Council to ban gas powered blowers!
* City of Sonoma, City of Sebastopol
Ellen Solomon,
Climate Activist, Arborist, Horticulturist 2019
Smoke
by Marcos Zapatero
As fire rages the pages are voluminous and weighty and stuffed
The story’s not gory but for me I’ve had more than enough
Our attentions au tension we’re taking on breaking dawn’s cuff They’re daring the tearing through flames of new names getting tough
My pleasure’s dear treasure’s to know you keep us in your heart
Now smoke lingers your fingers kept us all abreast from the start There’re blames for these flames and you dread not to upset their old cart Now the smacks of these facts tell us they chose plans less than smart
Could it be PGE knew and gambled a shambling plan
When careers spanning years couldn’t stand when been cut to the man Precious calling their trees falling lo beauty the dutiful tasks taken now
forsaken
There their greediful needful purposes surfaced, we’re awakened.
Not funny that money was the root of the truth for this trouble
When attorneys bring torts of all sorts shown in courts charges double Who owned these fine homes piles of stones smoking beams lost to rubble Once lush lawns that stretched on now be gone leaving grief and scorched
stubble.
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
575 Administration Drive, Room 100 A, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-2241
District 1: Susan Gorin - Susan.Gorin@sonoma-county.org District 2: David Rabbitt - David.Rabbitt@sonoma-county.org District 3: Shirlee Zane - Shirlee.Zane@sonoma-county.org District 3: James Gore - district4@sonoma-county.org
District 5: Lynda Hopkins - Lynda.Hopkins@sonoma-county.org
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6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 11/19