I wake up to WTOP every morning, and during the current heat wave, I've learned a lot about Code Orange days:
"Relatively high PSI values activate public health warnings. For example, a PSI above 200 (orange) initiates a First Stage Alert, at which time sensitive populations (e.g., the elderly and persons with respiratory illnesses) are advised to remain indoors and reduce physical activity." - The EPA via Answers.com
Today, we have another Code Orange day. Well, the PSA's they've been running this summer on WTOP have worked on me, because I knew people should refrain from mowing their lawns today. (If they have a gasoline-powered mower. I use a push reel mower for my postage-stamp lawn in an effort to marginally reduce my impact on the environment.)
And yet, when I walked my dog this morning, there was a gentleman sitting on an commercial riding mower, cutting the grass at Leesburg Elementary. Now I know and understand that the cumulative impact of gas-powered lawnmowers has a major effect on air quality. And I think most of my neighbors and I are willing to refrain from adding to air pollution on bad air-quality days.
In the interest of learning more, I emailed my HOA Board and asked whether we could implement a policy to reduce powered landscaping on bad air-quality days. The HOA member I emailed has taken my question and concern to the management company, and we're going to see what we can do about putting this kind of policy in place in our community.
I encourage everyone to do the same with their HOAs. If all the HOAs in Leesburg refrained from powered landscaping on bad air-quality days, it could make a big difference to our neighbors with asthma and other respiratory difficulties.
I hope that the Town of Leesburg will also take these simple, voluntary steps to try to help the environment. It can't be that difficult to refrain from gas-powered landscaping on days that are Yellow, Orange or Red.
[update] Kelly Burk from the Town Council emailed me back and said that she will look into this as a possibility for the town.
Disclosure: I am a volunteer for Kelly's BoS campaign
Posts
Leesburg
5 comments:
That's why I don't have a lawn.
(Actually, that's not why I don't have a lawn, but it's a good excuse.)
On the other hand, it's been so frigging hot that I've been driving to work rather than taking Metro...
I like my lawn, it takes me ~20 minutes to mow it, and then I've earned the beer I drink later. After all, I just did yardwork!
Reduce your environmental impact or your carbon output, pahlease!! Please tell me you haven't been brainwashed by the mis-informed Liberals from Hollywood/Bozo Land?
I was relatively ambivalent about the environment until I took a trip to Taipei in 2000.
After a week of blowing soot out of my nose every day and coming home in white shirts tinted orange-yellow by the air, my mind started changing.
I wasn't brainwashed, I saw what happens if you ignore air and water pollution first-hand.
I agree, China, India and other under-regulated industrial nations are an environmental disaster. I just think the liberal bozos in Hollywood are more concerned with product placement and marketing. Kudos for the push-mower, a nice workout.
Post a Comment