Editor:
It’s the early morning, in late June.
What’s that obnoxious buzzing noise, ear worming through my head? Is it hundreds of Killer Bees, ready to attack, outside my bedroom window? No, it’s my neighbour’s gas-powered leaf blower at full throttle, on the other side of the fence.
He’s oblivious to the air and noise pollution that he’s causing, because he’s wearing hearing protection, and I’m not.
We came to South Delta, more than 10 years ago, for peace and tranquility.
Ever since, the City of Delta has kicked its citizen’s concerns down the road, because it doesn’t want to deal with the serious impacts of these leaf blowers. Why? Because local landscaping companies (and municipal departments) may be temporarily financially impacted, by the changes that are needed, to mitigate this problem.
The fact is that hundreds of municipal governments, in Canada and the U.S., have acknowledged the real harms that gas powered leaf blowers are causing, to human health and the natural world (noise, stress; toxic fumes, carcinogens; airborne dust, dirt, allergens, and fecal matter; impacts to children, elderly, asthmatics, and workers; heart disease, hypertension, hearing loss, and cognitive impairment).
Those governments have banned gas leaf blowers, in favour of electric alternatives (West End of Vancouver in 2004). So, why is it taking so long for Delta, to do the same?
How ironic: I just received another brochure from a hearing clinic, in the mail, suggesting that I should get my hearing checked soon.
A Cameron
