When the global pandemic hit, we were in dismay like the rest of the world. My business partner and I, eternal optimists that we are, were inclined to find the silver lining. We soon found an issue that has not been widely discussed.
We came to it thinking, maybe, with less driving, we will see less air pollution and a greener environment. Yes, what a concept. However, it also dawned on us that while this has been a ‘quick fix,’ all signs point toward it being only temporary. Pollution will, unfortunately and of course, get worse again when everyone resumes their normal lives, post Covid. We discussed, what can the two of us do to continue the trend of fixing the world’s environmental issues?
We are all aware of general eco friendly lifestyle tips to do just that – turn off lights in your house when not needed, reduce trips in your car, use fans instead of air conditioners, compost, and try to cut out plastic. However, not many people are talking about another element causing pollution – gas powered gardening.
We decided that our next mission would be to fix gardening practices that have proved detrimental to the environment and climate. This has been an issue for years, and we’d like to demystify and exemplify the ease of climate-friendly gardening.
“Gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment emit air pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. … Every time you fill your gas can and mower, you are emitting volatile organic compounds into the air.”
–des.nh.gov
In other words, you may be eco friendly in other aspects of your life but hurting the environment with the gardening practices in your own backyard.
The notable Mower research site and guide for buying consumer equipment “People Powered Machines, ” discusses how 54 million Americans are mowing their lawns every weekend. Additionally, CO2 is emitted during the actual manufacturing and lawn mower disposal process.
In fact, most of the gardening tools that have been used for years are problematic. As an example, let’s talk about leaf blowers.
“It has been estimated that thirty minutes of leaf blower use produces the same amount of hydrocarbon emissions as driving a car seventy-seven hundred miles at a speed of thirty miles per hour.”
–onlynaturalenergy.com
Often, landscaping teams use an astounding amount of power tools – rototillers, lawn edgers, hedge trimmers, chippers, shredders, just to name a few.
That’s why, at Ladybug Gardening, we keep our machine use to a minimum. For the majority of work, it is excessive to have so many gas-powered tools on the job. Our solution is electric-only powered tools. From hedging to trimming, we avoid uncontrolled noise and air pollution.
This is no secret formula but instead more of a “woke” concept. Our mission is to encourage climate friendly gardening. If you’d like to do this yourself, you probably don’t even need battery operated tools, as these can be damaging for the environment as well; tools that plug into the wall should be enough for most jobs. If you’re someone who needs more power, battery operated is okay (the higher the voltage of the battery, the better).
If you’re in Los Angeles, sign up or reach out to us for more information. Our team can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of gardening by doing this with our electric powered tools. We’d like you to be a part of the revolution.