Listen to the Sound of Leaf Blower Bans

For more than 100 million years, trees have dropped their leaves every fall, creating a protective layer that provides cover for snails, bees, and butterflies. Decaying leaves fertilized the soil and gave nutrients back to the trees. Today, fallen leaves still provide a harvest festival of benefits — unless they get blown into a pile and taken away, where they do no good for critters- or the planet.

There are over 11 million leaf blowers in use in the United States The distinctive whine of them is difficult to escape from. But restrictions on leaf blowers are starting to take hold in the US- with most bans focused on gas powered ones; and California 's will be going into effect next summer- with other City's already in effect, like Washington, D.C.; Miami Beach, Florida; and Evanston, Illinois. They'll be silenced soon in Portland and Seattle as well. For the whole article, click here.