There are questions I would put to South Portland in reference to the banning of gas mowers and leaf blowers. How many mowers, weed whackers, leaf blowers and snow blowers does the city currently have? Are they all electric? I doubt it.
What is the city’s plan to replace them? More taxes? Making us residents replace ours while allowing landscaping and lawn contractors? Why them? So their businesses grow?
I’m all for going greener. These machines have come a long way with emissions since I was little, when you could see and smell the blue smoke when they were being used. That’s not the case anymore. Manufacturers follow emission laws now.
Do the research on how lithium is mined and obtained and if it’s possible to recycle it. It feels good to say “green,” but it devastates the planet.
How about having the sustainability department take a good look at other ways of greening up, like reclaiming some of the ridiculously large parking lots all over the city and planting good, fast-growing trees and shrubs in sections throughout these areas? This is being done in many countries in Europe.
Trees will clean the air, cool the parking lots and naturally slow global warming. That’s where you start. Imagine the shade, more birds and beauty in our city.
Michael Welsh
South Portland
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