Wednesday, 5 Mar 2003
LOUISVILLE, Ky.
Yesterday I was nervous as a cat, knowing that I had to give a presentation on Lawn Care for Cleaner Air to the Kentucky Landscape and Turf Organization today. I had been told that about half of the participants would be guys who drive large pickup trucks pulling trailers full of giant lawn mowers that emit at least triple the pollutants of a "family size" mower.
I was afraid that when I mentioned that one hour of using a gasoline mower is equivalent to driving 200 miles in a new compact car, these guys would snort or hoot and yell out something like "How do you expect me to do my job?" or "Are you trying to run me out of business?" This wasn't just paranoia on my part; I had received phone calls asking just those questions. But as it turns out, the warning I was given about the guys who would be at the presentation was a stereotype, and not an entirely kind one.
I got to the workshop facility an hour early so I could set up the Power Point presentation I had prepared. As I arrived, the person in charge said, "Did you bring a laptop? This one is taking a long time to load." Whew! Like a Girl Scout, I was prepared, and set up our agency laptop with the projector. Still concerned about angering some of the participants with my message, I decided to tackle the issue head-on by getting it out of the way before the audience had a chance to bring it up.
That's exactly what I did -- the good news/bad news routine. I told the bad news first: You may lose some customers because they want to participate in the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air program. Then I went for the good news: There are new markets opening up to provide environmental services to customers who want their lawns mowed with electric mowers to reduce noise and air pollution. These customers are willing to pay more for the service. No negative vibes here.
The good news grows.
Then I offered still more good news: Other new markets are opening to convert grassy yards into low-maintenance green spaces, or into gardens filled with flowers, trees, shrubs, ground cover, decorative patios, paths, ponds, and statuary. I showed pictures of stunning landscapes right here in the city, with front yards, back yards, and whole properties converted from turf to beautiful outdoor living spaces.
Even though the room was dark because of the slideshow, I could see many of the 100 or so participants' faces. They didn't seem aggravated or upset, as I had expected them to be. When I finished, the questions they asked reflected an interest in learning the new skills necessary to capitalize on changing attitudes about landscaping and the audience was clearly interested in anything that would grow the market. In fact, the questions were so constructive that I could have imagined being in a garden-club meeting, except that the participants were mostly men.
I answered the questions as best I could, but some of them had me scratching my head, so I promised to do some research and call them back. That's what I've been up to this afternoon -- researching and returning phone calls on some interesting questions:
- "How can we get the training to do this kind of landscaping?" Great question, and one that I had anticipated. The Cooperative Extension Service and the horticulture department of the local technical college offer programs; I also recommended partnering with people who already know how to do this kind of landscaping and learning by example from professionals.
- "We mow a cemetery with large diesel mowers. Do they pollute as much as gas? Are there alternatives to diesel?" I knew part of the answer to this one: Diesel does pollute more, but a good substitute is biodiesel, a very low-polluting fuel made from soybean oil, or even used cooking oil. I referred the question-asker to Melissa Howell, who works with the Kentucky Clean Fuels Association, and she advised him that his supplier could probably sell him biodiesel.
- "How will we get rid of rechargeable batteries if we switch to electric mowers?" Interesting question; I didn't know the specifics, but I did know that the Louisville Metro Waste Management District has a battery recycling program where many dealers recycle old batteries. It did not take much research to learn that the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation lists over 50 nearby locations where rechargeable batteries can be taken for recycling or disposal. I referred the questioner to the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's website.
The opinions expressed in this diary are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Louisville Metro government or Air Pollution Control District.
Comments
View as Flat