penumbrage

Problem:

The peaceful vibe of our towns is disturbed daily by loud landscaping tools – leafblowers, weed whackers, lawnmowers etc.

Leafblowers not only emit harmful fumes, but their loud sound harms the delicate ecosystems of birds, bees, and other fauna. The irritating noise is also a public health hazard for humans, adding to our stress levels.

Proposed Solutions:

. Let us:

* Ban gas-powered leafblowers etc.

* Require street cleaners to use old-fashioned brooms and rakes.

. Replace these machines by recruiting homeless people to keep the parks clean of leaves and trash. A handful of city workers could be designated to supervise the manual cleaning efforts of teams of homeless people, who would be paid a decent hourly wage ( preferably above the minimum wage ). These homeless contractors would be issued brooms, rakes, and other supplies to keep the public areas free of leaves and litter. They might be organized in teams, each team assigned responsibility for maintaining a specific zone.

Benefits:

. Lower cost: * fuel costs * maintenance costs * cost of skilled operators

. Lower air pollution.

. Lower sound pollution.

. Benefit to the local community: Giving homeless people not just an income, but a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride.

. Better results: An hour of daily cleaning by an operator-driven machine doesn't quite keep the parks clean. Homeless people and visitors soon litter the park. The cleaning process has to be repeated daily, with limited results. If the same homeless people were zealously guarding their assigned territories, the park would be kept clean continually.

. Lower crime.

. Increased ecotourism.

All these factors, taken together, would significantly improve the overall quality of life. I humbly request responsible officials to study the feasibility and do cost-benefit analyses.