Stihl Cleans Up So-Cal

We normally associate the word “newsworthy” with loss of life, damaged property, or shocking tragedy.  A small win that works out for everybody seldom shows up on the media radar these days — nevertheless Stihl and Southern California have got a deal going that leaves everyone a bit better off than where they started.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) selected STIHL as its partner in a leaf blower exchange initiative which gives Southern California landscapers and gardeners an opportunity to exchange their high-emission backpack blowers for the low-emission and low-noise STIHL BR 500.

The 2008 AQMD events, held in July and August at various Southern California STIHL servicing dealers, will replace 1,500 old leaf blowers with the STIHL BR 500 which, according to an AQMD press release, is four times cleaner than the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) most stringent standard for new blowers and 50% quieter than a more common leaf blower (65 dB(A) as measured per ANSI B175.2). Each year, at least 14 tons of smog-forming pollution is reduced by the blower exchange.

We aren’t seeing the downside here. Stihl moves a few blowers, the planet gets to breathe a bit easier, and neighbors aren’t assaulted with extra noise. We tip our hat to Stihl for engineering the product and working out a great win-win-win.

STIHL Helps Clean Southern California Air [Stihl Press Release]
BR500 Backpack Blower [Stihl]
Street Pricing [Google Products]