The crisp air of autumn is all around me and the happy sounds of birds in the trees singing are being mercilessly drowned out by the neighbors on all sides of us diligently removing each and every particle of organic detritus from their gardens, their driveways, their decks, their many gas-guzzling cars and trucks. And how are they doing this? With gasoline-powered leaf blowers.

Now, gasoline is an expensive commodity and beyond that, we are staring global climate change, fueled by the overconsumption of fossil fuels and their hydrocarbon emissions. Even in my area there are lots of people per square mile and lots of people generate lots of  different kinds of noise. So why is it that on any given day I can be sure I will jump out of my skin and be subjected to the cacophony of a leaf blower joining in with the screaming, unsupervised children a few houses away as well as the Harley Davidsons and huge tractor-trailer trucks barrelling down the state highway within earshot of my front yard?

So if you think about it, when Joe Neighborman fires up his little gas engine to create the concussive force necessary to move a maple leaf four and a half inches, I am listening to the equivalent of an airplane flying in the driveway next door. And I'm sure Joe doesn't wear ear protection. It must be like doing yard work on the departure runway at Logan Airport.

But Joe isn't the only one. I see these things used everywhere, especially by organized landscaping or yardwork companies. Veritable armies of workers walk around the grounds of large buildings, turning gasoline into hydrocarbons and noise.

Think about the environmental impact of this little gadget. Think about the auditory impact of it. Think about someone other than yourself for five minutes. I implore you to put away your leaf blower. Permanently.

FYI

This noise level chart is here courtesy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association (ASHA)