A new report from the CoPIRG Foundation highlights the negative impacts of air pollution produced annually by gas-powered lawn and garden equipment and the measurable benefits of electrifying this equipment across the country. The report is based on 2020 data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emissions Inventory, with 2020 being the most recent year for which data is available. 

Gas-powered lawn and garden equipment—such as lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws—are currently the fourth leading contributor to Colorado Front Range emissions, and a major contributor to the formation of harmful ground-level ozone in the region. This equipment also produces a range of harmful emissions that can have significant negative effects on human health, creating both short-term and long-term health risks for individuals exposed to them, as well as negative impacts on plants, ecosystems, and crop yields.  

RAQC executive director Mike Silverstein joined CoPIRG at a press event for the report’s release on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in support of actions to reduce the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in the Front Range of Colorado, to improve local air quality.  

“Electric is our future, in so many ways, over fossil-fuel powered equipment,” said Silverstein. 

The numbers add up 

The CoPIRG Foundation report includes interactive elements by state and by county across the entire country, detailing data for nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and fine particulates (PM 2.5).  

In 2020 alone, the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment across the U.S. emitted more than 68,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 350,000 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere: the two chemical components of ground-level ozone, which triggers asthma attacks and contributes to premature death. This equipment also emitted 30 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the leading cause of global warming, and nearly 22,000 tons of fine particulates (PM2.5): microscopic pollutants smaller than a human hair, like soot, smoke, and dust, that have been linked to respiratory ailments, reproductive and mental health issues, and even premature death.  

According to this report, in Colorado, the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment emitted almost 2,000 tons of NOx, 775,805 tons of CO2, and 671 tons of fine particulates. The majority of these emissions—almost 80% of each (1,542 tons of NOx, 603,597 tons of CO2, and 531 tons of fine particulates)—were emitted from the 9-county Front Range ozone nonattainment area, where 68% of the state’s population lives (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties).  

While that may not seem like a lot, this is the same amount of NOx emitted over an entire year by more than 880,000 cars. And it would take more than 7 million cars to produce the same number of fine particulates over the course of a year — 4 times the number of cars in Colorado.  

In a given year, gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in the 9-county Front Range area emits more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than all cars on the road in the same region combined. In 2020, gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in Colorado created 9,811 tons of VOCs, 77% of which were emitted in the 9-county Front Range area (7,588 tons). VOCs are a major contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, and also include benzene, formaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene, air pollutants linked to increased cancer risk.  

Making the transition to electric  

No longer limited by cords, electric lawn and garden equipment is cleaner, quieter and, over a lifetime of use, often cheaper than fossil fuel-powered options, as noted in the report. Thanks to recent advances in battery technology, electric equipment is also comparable in quality and performance to gasoline-powered equipment. It’s increasingly easy to find at major hardware stores and suppliers, with dozens of options for electric mowers, trimmers and other types of equipment currently on the market.  

Colorado is leading the way in making the transition to electric equipment. A state electrification initiative led by Senator Chris Hanson, who also spoke on Oct. 30 at the report’s release, will enable Colorado residents to receive a 30% “point of sale” instant discount on electric lawn and garden equipment at participating retailers beginning in 2024.  

Mow Down Pollution, a RAQC-run program, helps residents, businesses, and local governments transition from dirty, gas-powered equipment to electric alternatives. The RAQC has also submitted a proposal for consideration this December by the Air Quality Control Commission to reduce emissions from lawn and garden equipment in the ozone nonattainment region using grants for government and commercial electrification, discounts on electric equipment, and sales restrictions on gasoline equipment within the nonattainment area.   

“Ozone is a significant issue for us,” said Silverstein. “Our proposal would lead to rapid reductions [in air pollution] and fundamental change in our summertime air quality.”  

Staff at the Regional Air Quality Council have together achieved first place for the 2023 Way to Go Go-Tober Challenge, in the “extra small” company category (1-50 employees). The annual, month-long Go-Tober Challenge is hosted by the Denver Regional Council of Governments’ (DRCOG) Way to Go program each October. 79 companies and 886 individuals participated in 2023.

The RAQC’s small but mighty staff prioritized telework, carpooling, biking, and finding ways to get around without a car this October. By not driving at all, or by not driving alone for 388 trips last month, they reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by almost 4,000 lbs, reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by 2.3 lbs (an air pollutant), and saved an estimated $3,000 in commuting costs. For winning its size category, the RAQC will be featured in an ad on the Denver Business Journal website in November.

As the lead planning agency for the Denver Metro / North Front Range Nonattainment Area, the RAQC is proud of its dedicated staff for upholding its mission to improve air quality in the region.

When Mike Silverstein, executive director of the Regional Air Quality Council, first started using an electric lawn mower years ago, he was often teased for using such a quiet, clean machine.  

Silverstein said some people would joke, “What are you doing? Vacuuming the grass?” He would reply: “No, I’ve just cut the lawn here! You wish you were me.” 

Gas-powered lawn and garden equipment are currently the fourth leading contributor to Front Range emissions, and a major contributor to the formation of harmful ground-level ozone in the region. This equipment also produces a range of harmful emissions that can have significant negative effects on human health, creating both short-term and long-term health risks for individuals exposed to them.  

This is why RAQC runs Mow Down Pollution, which helps residents, businesses, and local governments transition from dirty gas-powered equipment to electric alternatives. The RAQC has also submitted a proposal for consideration this December by the Air Quality Control Commission to reduce emissions from lawn and garden equipment in the ozone nonattainment region through the use of grants for government and commercial electrification, discounts on electric equipment, and sales restrictions on gasoline equipment within the nonattainment area.  

“The natural transformation to electric [equipment] is happening, and proposals that we’re considering now might speed that up and make it mandatory in the future,” said Silverstein.  

Silverstein shared this story and many other air quality insights earlier this year, as one of more than 30 experts who were interviewed in 2023 for Clearing The Air, the latest season of the podcast Laws of Notion by the Institute for Science & Policy, a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. This eight-part season is about air pollution in Colorado and beyond, and how residents, scientists, organizers, leaders, and legislators are navigating this complex problem that knows no borders.  

Since the podcast episode was recorded, Colorado’s governor signed an executive order requiring state agencies to phase out their gas-powered lawn and garden equipment by 2025.  

Before serving as RAQC’s executive director for the past five years, Silverstein began his career in air quality in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the Environmental Protection Agency, before moving over to the state of Colorado, where he worked for the Department of Public Health and Environment for 25 years. On this fifth episode of the podcast, he also contextualizes the role of the RAQC—the lead air quality planning agency in the Front Range—and its role as an advisory body within the air quality landscape in Colorado. The episode highlights how the RAQC builds out stakeholder groups, helps find common ground to move the needle on air quality, implements education, outreach, and incentive programs, and encourages voluntary activities to reduce emissions and air pollution. It also explains how the governor appoints the RAQC’s board members, who range from heads of agencies to politicians, to business leaders, to those with scientific and technical expertise.  

Additionally, Silverstein notes the RAQC’s annual work sharing ozone alerts with the public each summer, to raise awareness of ground-level ozone as an air quality issue, help people protect their health, and urge them to take relevant air pollution-reducing actions.  

“We can’t be perfect. We don’t have to be perfect, but we have to be better,” said Silverstein.  

You can listen to Clearing The Air on its website, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or Google.  

On October 10, 2023, the Regional Air Quality Council presented awards to four Colorado legislators at its first ever clean air happy hour. Senator Winter, Senator Hansen, Representative Bacon, and Representative Willford were recognized as 2023 Clean Air Champions for their vital efforts to maintain a healthy environment and clean air for all Coloradans. These four legislators have all been sponsors and leaders on bills related to air quality legislation in the past year. 

Senator Faith Winter’s leadership in the Senate has supported the past two years of the Zero Fare for Better Air program, allowing residents not only in the Front Range, but across the state to take public transportation for free during the summer months to help reduce air pollution.

Senator Chris Hansen has been a champion for the electrification of lawn and garden and parks equipment, and because of Senator Hansen’s work, residents across the state will see a 30% reduction in the price of electric lawn and garden equipment at participating retailers next year. 

Representative Jennifer Bacon was recognized for her leadership as chair of the Interim Committee on Ozone Air Quality, the first committee outside of the normal legislative session focused purely on this issue, as well as for her leadership on multiple bills.

Representative Jenny Willford, who also helped create and serves on the interim ozone committee, was recognized for her initiative and commitment to the issue of air quality, championing bold legislation in her first term, as well as for her work on appliance standards, ensuring improvements to indoor, as well as outdoor air quality. 

Learn more about RAQC Clean Air Champions: raqc.org/program/regional-air-quality-councils-clean-air-champions/.

The RAQC also introduced its newly launched RAQC Clean Air Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, dedicated to funding and supplementing air quality programs that reduce ground-level ozone within the EPA’s Denver Metro/Front Range Ozone Non-Attainment Area. Learn more about the RAQC Clean Air Fund and donate at: raqc.org/cleanairfund.  

The RAQC would also like to thank its community partners, board members, and all who came to mingle with fellow clean air enthusiasts at the RAQC’s first ever clean air happy hour. Thank you also to event sponsor Ace Hardware, whose support provided drinks and snacks.