“While lawns can function as “carbon sinks,” soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this benefit is often outweighed by the heavy carbon cost associated with the maintenance of these lawns. Rather than alleviating climate change, lawns may be contributing to it. The main culprits are lawn equipment, specifically gas powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers, and synthetic fertilizers. Ultimately, Americans should consider alternatives for the technological and chemical ways they are treating their lawns, and even consider the potential of changing the structure of their lawn entirely.”
From:
Jiahn Son “Lawn Maintenance and Climate Change” https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/5/11/law-maintenance-and-climate-change Accessed 3/15/2023
Most lawn equipment is gasoline powered, typically being one of two types: two-stroke or four-stroke engines. To fuel this equipment, it takes about 800 million gallons of gasoline annually, with 17 million additional gallons spilled in the process. Two-stroke engines pose a unique environmental hazard because they do not have an independent lubricant system, so fuel and oil are mixed. Due to this, about 30 percent of the fuel does not combust completely, thus releasing toxic gases into the air.
