While I’m very happy about yesterday’s GreenTOpia launch and the upcoming Building Sustainability series, I’m saddened to see this Star story also published yesterday on a new “sport” – “Leaf Blower Hockey” – hitting Toronto parks.
I guess that we won’t have to worry about spending money on opening ice rinks in December if we can keep the air nice and warm with diesel exhaust through the holiday month.
What do you think: Should such high-octane sports be banned within the context of the city’s green goals? Or should the teams, being interested in contributing to charity, be allowed to play freely? And is mandatory post-game treeplanting a suitable compromise?
Image from Westchester Government, which has ordained a phase-out of leaf blowers
12 comments
This has to be among the top 10 dumbest thing I ever came across. I don’t care if it is for charity, if this is for real and not a joke it has to be banned immediately. It is not only a matter of fuel exhaust being expelled by those damn things, it is also the noise levels. Our parks are supposed to be places of refuge from the frantic of city living, not a place to make noise and pollution.
This will never catch on as the noise, exhaust, and dust will drive people nuts.
They don’t have to ban the sport, they just have to ban fuel-powered blowers.
There are perfectly good rechargeable battery-powered leaf blowers at Canadian Tire, and if they had their homes BullfrogPowered, this would become a green sport in no time.
Aside from the leaf blowers, what’s wrong with the regular sports? There’s been this movement to invent new and retarded sports over the last 10 years. Go play soccer or something.
More generally, I don’t see any real reason to have gas-powered leaf blowers around. They’re terrible for the environment.
I know, it’s disappointing that City Hall turned down a proposal to ban them back in March:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/03/30/leaf-blowers.html
Interesting that the climate change plan as ref’d by the CBC says that citizens are encouraged to use rakes and brooms instead… which could help people get more exercise in the first place.
I wonder if “active maintenance” is a sister term that could be joined to “active transportation.”
Hi, i just want to say that leaf blower hockey … Rocked >>> Now, Nature is a fair issue. So, thanks on the battery powered little brother suggestion and next year better on nature
guys take it easy!!!…it was just one harmless game. You are probably emitting more pollution getting mad about it then they did playing the game, in the grand scheme of things. just watch them play to see it was just for fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv6UNoufL5g
chris is right >> don’t bother paying attention to the effects anything fun has on the environment. Just relax.
I was feeling bad about my desire to drive an SUV into my neighbourhood park to do donuts and burn some rubber. But its harmless because its fun, according to Chris. From now on I will ignore my conscience and just do what makes me feel best and forget about the consequence.
Did you see how small the penis’s are on some of those guys?
Nothing makes a less endowed guy feel like a big boy than a two-stroke engine vibrating in their sweaty hands.
http://www.leafblowerhockey.com
Screw u. So what if it was wrong. You still can’t ban gas blowers. I’m a landscaper and I know I can’t get the job done with those pansy ass electric blowers. Besides. It’s like an electric car vs. Diesel. Diesel wins!