GAS-FREE GARDENS
Resilient Palisades launched Gas Free Gardens to help Pacific Palisades move away from polluting gas powered landscaping equipment and toward cleaner electric and manual tools.
Through our free electric leaf blower program, more than 50 local gardeners received battery electric equipment at no cost. Because participating gardeners told us they typically serve 25 to 50 properties, we estimate the program helped bring cleaner and quieter landscaping to roughly 1,500 homes across the Palisades. Many homeowners also purchased electric equipment independently, while other gardeners used incentive programs we promoted.
This was possible because community members donated directly to the program. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen.
WHY GAS-FREE LANDSCAPING?
Gas free landscaping uses battery electric and manual tools instead of gasoline powered lawn and garden equipment.
That can include electric mowers, blowers, trimmers and chainsaws, along with simple tools such as rakes and brooms.
The goal is straightforward: cleaner air for gardeners and residents, less neighborhood noise, and less reliance on gasoline for routine landscape maintenance.
THE POLLUTION ADDS UP
Small gasoline engines may be small, but their pollution is not. The California Air Resources Board says lawn mowers, leaf blowers and other small gasoline engines pollute at a higher rate per gallon of gasoline than many other types of equipment and vehicles.
One of the clearest examples is a commercial leaf blower. CARB estimates that operating one for one hour creates about as much smog forming pollution as driving a new passenger car approximately 1,100 miles, roughly the distance from Los Angeles to Denver.
THE HEALTH IMPACT
Air Pollution
Gas powered lawn and garden equipment releases pollution directly into the places where people live, work, play and garden. EPA research identifies gasoline lawn and garden equipment as a source of toxic and carcinogenic air pollutants, including benzene, 1,3 butadiene and formaldehyde.
Small gasoline engines also emit nitrogen oxides and other pollutants that help create ground level ozone and particulate pollution. These pollutants matter because exposure happens close to the equipment, including for the gardeners operating it and residents nearby. EPA specifically notes that commercial landscaping workers can spend hours close to these emission sources.
Fine particulate matter can travel deep into the lungs and, in some cases, enter the bloodstream. EPA links particle pollution with aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, respiratory symptoms, heart problems and premature death in people with heart or lung disease. Children, older adults and people with existing heart or lung conditions are among those most vulnerable.
Ground Level Ozone and Smog
Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight to form ground level ozone, a major component of smog.
Ground level ozone irritates and inflames the airways. EPA says it can cause coughing, difficulty breathing, reduced lung function and worsening of asthma and other lung diseases. Children, older adults, people with asthma and people who spend significant time outdoors face greater risks.
Less Noise
Gas powered leaf blowers create intense noise that travels well beyond the property where they are being used.
A community pilot study led by a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health measured commercial gas leaf blowers at approximately 78 to 80 decibels from 50 feet away. At the point of operation, individual machines measured between about 85 and 101 dB(A).
The vibrating and low frequency of gas-powered equipment causes the noise to travel farther (a few city blocks) and pass barriers, including building walls (Pollock et al., 2018; Pasanen et al., 2004).
The study also examined how that sound traveled. With the exception of the high frequency component, measured sound remained above the World Health Organization daytime outdoor guideline used by the researchers at distances as far as 800 feet. Low frequency sound was particularly persistent over distance and is better able to travel through the environment and penetrate structures.
For gardeners who work around this equipment for hours at a time, and for surrounding neighborhoods, that difference matters.
Read the Walker and Banks lawn and garden equipment sound study
A LOCAL DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE
We all know that leaf blowers, especially the gas powered variety, are obnoxiously loud, utterly stinky, and irritating to the eyes. Much more important than those nuisances, gas powered leaf blowers and other gardening equipment are harmful to our health, both in the short and long term.
The pollutants emitted by gas powered lawn equipment include fine particulate matter and toxic air pollutants such as benzene, 1,3 butadiene and formaldehyde. Exposure to fine particle pollution is linked to heart attacks, stroke, asthma and premature death, while pollutants such as 1,3 butadiene are classified as carcinogenic to humans. (EPA: Particle Pollution Exposure) (EPA: 1,3 Butadiene Health Assessment)
Air pollution during pregnancy has also been linked to serious reproductive and developmental harms. A large review of 36 systematic reviews found probable evidence linking particulate pollution with spontaneous abortion and preterm birth, while meta analyses have found associations between exposure to certain air pollutants and specific congenital abnormalities. (PubMed: Prenatal Air Pollution and Adverse Birth Outcomes) (PubMed: Air Pollution and Congenital Anomalies)
Blowers also do more than move leaves. They resuspend dust and biological material into the air, including fungal spores and other microorganisms. Soil disturbance is a recognized way that infectious fungal spores such as Coccidioides, which causes Valley Fever, become airborne. Infection prevention guidance for severely immunocompromised patients specifically recommends avoiding leaf blower use nearby because of the risk of dispersing fungal spores. (CDC: Valley Fever and Soil Dust) (Research on Leaf Blowers and Fungal Spore Exposure)
Blowing away leaf litter also removes an important part of a healthy landscape. A global meta analysis of 94 studies found that leaf litter removal changes the structure and function of the soil microbiome and reduces microbial biomass by removing an important source of carbon and nutrients. Fallen leaves also provide essential habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. (Plant and Soil: Global Litter Removal Meta Analysis) (Xerces Society: Leave the Leaves)
So please, do yourself and your neighbors a favor and consider these alternatives:
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Leave organic matter on the ground to give nutrients back to the soil, as is the natural cycle.
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Consider using a rake or broom instead of a blower if removal of leaves and organic matter is desired or needed.
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If you feel it is necessary to use a blower, use an electric one and only intermittently when absolutely necessary, not simply out of habit.
The more people who make the change from gas powered lawn equipment to a rake, broom or electric device, the more of us will be able to live healthier, happier lives.
Karina Maher, MD
Pacific Palisades resident
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Smog Forming Pollution
California has focused heavily on small off road engines because their collective emissions are significant. CARB says emissions from this category have surpassed those from light duty passenger cars, which is one reason the state has adopted increasingly strict standards for newly manufactured engines.
Switching lawn and garden equipment from gasoline combustion to battery electric alternatives removes exhaust emissions at the point where the equipment is being used.
Soil and Water
Gas equipment also requires gasoline, oil, storage and refueling. Moving away from gasoline powered equipment eliminates the routine handling of those fuels for the tools being replaced and removes the possibility of exhaust emissions during operation.
Particle pollution itself also affects the environment. EPA notes that airborne particles eventually settle onto land and water, where they can change nutrient balances, contribute to acidification and affect ecosystems.
Climate
Gas powered equipment burns fossil fuel. Moving landscape maintenance toward electric and manual equipment reduces direct fossil fuel combustion at the property where the work is performed.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
Los Angeles
Gas powered blowers are prohibited within 500 feet of a residence at any time under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 112.04(c).
The law applies both to the person operating the blower and to the person who hired that person. The ordinance has been in effect since February 13, 1998.
California
California’s rules have also changed significantly.
CARB regulations require zero smog forming emissions from most new small off road engines beginning with model year 2024. These standards cover engines used in equipment such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers.
SAVE ON ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT
You do not necessarily have to pay the full cost of switching.
For Residents
South Coast AQMD offers year round rebates to help residents replace gas powered lawn and garden equipment with battery electric alternatives.
Residents can receive up to $250 per eligible piece of equipment for new battery powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and trimmers. Households can receive up to three rebates, with each rebate applying to a different equipment category.
To qualify, residents must replace a working gas powered tool with a like for like battery electric replacement and turn the gas equipment in to an approved dismantler for permanent destruction.
Rebate amounts:
$150 for equipment costing $250 or less
$200 for equipment costing $251 to $400
$250 for equipment costing $401 or more
For Professional Gardeners
South Coast AQMD also operates a commercial program for professional gardeners and landscapers.
Eligible commercial operators can receive discounts of up to 85 percent on approved commercial grade electric lawn and garden equipment, subject to program rules and funding limits. Nonprofit organizations, local governments, school districts and colleges may also participate.
Savings
Electric equipment is far less expensive and safer to operate than gas.
Source: AGZA.net
EASY WAYS TO START
You do not have to replace an entire landscaping setup overnight.
Start by asking your gardener what equipment is being used at your property. If a gas blower is being used, talk with them about switching to battery electric equipment and share the available rebate and commercial incentive programs.
Use rakes and brooms where practical.
Allow some leaves and organic material to remain where they benefit the landscape instead of automatically blowing every surface clean.
When replacing equipment, choose battery electric tools rather than purchasing another gas powered model.
Homeowners have influence here. Gardeners respond to what their clients ask for, and community demand helped make our original Gas Free Gardens program successful.
DIG DEEPER
Gas equipment and California air pollution
A decade ago, regulators warned that pollution from small gasoline engines was on track to surpass pollution from passenger cars in California. That prediction came true.
In 2021, the California Air Resources Board reported that small off road engines, used primarily in lawn and garden equipment, had surpassed light duty passenger cars as a source of smog forming emissions in California.
Gas vs. Electric
Creating a zero-emission garden will greatly reduce your family’s: carbon footprint, emission output of harmful carcinogens and fine-particulate matter into the air your gardener and family breathe, gasoline and oil leaks that end up in the Bay, and, will create a quieter community.
Homeowners Drive the Change
Homeowners are the ultimate catalyst in creating zero-emission gardens in Pacific Palisades: Zero-emission equipment is safer and cheaper to operate than gas-guzzling alternatives. But gardeners aim to please their employers, so homeowners need to start the conversation.
Fuel Spills
Americans spill an estimated 17 million gallons of gasoline each year while refueling lawn and garden equipment, according to estimates still cited by state and local air quality agencies. Small spills during repeated refueling add up, while battery electric equipment eliminates the need to store, transport and pour gasoline for the tools being replaced.
One Hour of Leaf Blower Use vs. 1,100 Miles of Driving
One hour of even the best-selling commercial gas-powered leaf blower emits the same smog-forming pollution as driving a Toyota Camry about 1100 miles, or approximately the distance from Los Angeles to Denver. The difference is that all of this pollution is being dumped into a single backyard in practically every home in Pacific Palisades. (CARB, 2017)
Nitrogen Oxides and Smog
Gas powered lawn and garden equipment emits nitrogen oxides from burning fuel. Nitrogen oxides react with other pollutants in sunlight to form ground level ozone, the main ingredient in smog. Breathing ozone can irritate and inflame the airways, worsen asthma and make breathing more difficult. Nitrogen oxides also contribute to fine particle pollution and acid rain, which can damage sensitive lakes, forests and other ecosystems.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Basic Information about NO₂
The Scale of Lawn Equipment Pollution
Small off road engines, used primarily in lawn and garden equipment such as leaf blowers and mowers, now produce more smog forming emissions in California than light duty passenger cars.
Commercial lawn and garden equipment makes up just 8% of California’s small off road engines but produces 20% of their summertime smog forming emissions.
Toxic Air Pollutants and Health
Gas powered lawn and garden equipment emits pollutants including benzene, 1,3 butadiene, formaldehyde and particulate matter. Exposure to these pollutants is associated with serious health effects, including cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and several are known or suspected carcinogens.
(footnote 1-5 from EPA study)
A LEGACY OF GAS-FREE GARDENS
Before the Palisades Fire, these signs could be found throughout the community, marking homes whose residents had committed to gas free landscaping.
Many of those homes were lost in the January 2025 fire. The signs now capture a piece of the Palisades that existed before the disaster, and the work residents had already done to create a cleaner, quieter neighborhood.
As our community rebuilds, that commitment does not have to disappear. Gas free landscaping remains one practical way to build back with cleaner air, less noise and less fossil fuel use.
RESOURCES AND RESEARCH
California Air Resources Board: Lawn, Garden and Landscape Equipment
California Air Resources Board: Small Engine Fact Sheet
California Air Resources Board: Small Off Road Engine Regulations
EPA: Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter
EPA: Health Effects of Ground Level Ozone
Characteristics of Lawn and Garden Equipment Sound: A Community Pilot Study
Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 112.04
South Coast AQMD Residential Electric Lawn and Garden Rebate Program
South Coast AQMD Commercial and Residential Electric Lawn and Garden Programs