This is not a podcast about leafblowers, but we should start with leafblowers,

leafblowers that either evolved from Japanese gardens, from snowblowers, or from a guy named

Dom Quinto, who took a device designed to spread chemicals around and took out the chemical

part of it. Leafblowers are a symptom of a lot of things about changes in our culture.

Hey, it's Seth, and this is a Kimbo.

We'll be back in a second to talk about 77 decibels, the suburbs, and change. But first,

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Yes, leafblowers are against the law in my wonderful little town between May and October,

and after October 15, they're sort of against the law because the typical leafblower that's run

on gasoline emits 77 decibels or more of sound, which is a lot. Also, leafblowers, based on

internal combustion engines, 30 minutes of using one, will put out as many pollutants as driving

a forward F-150 pickup truck from Texas to Alaska. Also, they are a symbol of the suburbs

because lots of people in the suburbs have yards and grass and trees, and lots of people in the

suburbs hire folks to get rid of their leaves and they pay those people by the hour, and those

people are incented to be more efficient, hence the leafblower. But what I wanted to talk about is

why in the face of all of the problems that leafblowers cause with noise and air pollution,

...