Hear Ye … or not so Hear Ye with a Green Solution for Lawn Care!
Friday, March 12, 2010 at 8:57AM By Jim Fitzpatrick
For all those in Newport Beach that wish to ban leaf blowers … first off, let’s take some guidance from Mother Theresa, who would never attend an anti-war rally, but would attend a peace march. Or follow the principle that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Early on in my professional career, my boss asked me to leave his office, and let me know in no uncertain terms that if I ever wished to come back and talk about a problem, I very well had better have the solution. With electric leaf blowers, powered by solar now available, I think we can now start talking about the issue of noise pollution associated with landscaping. Although several cities have banned the gas-powered units, and some have studied raking is just as fast, I like having an alternative. Seeking better is a green and reasonable goal. (Articles PRE Council Meeting and POST or see it LIVE Staff Report)
What’s that you say? As a comparison of decibels, Rain Drops = 40, Conversation = 60, Traffic = 85, Hair Dryer = 90 and an Ipod at peak = 115. The decibel scale is not logarithmic. Each increase of 10, say 60 to 70, represents a noise 10 times louder.
Therefore, I conclude, that electric is a significant improvement in noise pollution, with lots of other environmental benefits.
But that is not the only green solution Kevin McDonald can provide to Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. His youthful energy (and he’s an all around good green guy) can provide many environmentally friendly services when he visits your home or property. He thinks green, acts green and can professionally provide green solutions for your landscape.
Kevin McDonaldWith that … meet Kevin McDonald of Clean Air Lawn Care.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I moved to Orange County from Honolulu, Hawaii, four years ago after meeting my wife, who grew up in Orange County. Personally, growing up on the other coast in Pittsburgh, before moving to Hawaii, I had spent many hours behind a lawn mower servicing local businesses and households. While living on the south shore of Oahu, I never owned a car. I used pedal power (bike) to get everywhere I needed or wanted to go – like Diamond Head and my other favorite surf spots – and loved every minute of it. When I moved to the OC, I bought a car, because I love the outdoors, surfing, cycling, trail running ... and the area is home to so many great places for all of these activities; but most require a drive to get there within a reasonable time frame. My time using a bicycle for transportation has not been lost, for more than a year now, weather permitting, I spend the morning and afternoon commutes not sitting in bumper to bumper trafffic on the I-5 & I-405. Back in the saddle, an hour and a half ride along PCH once or twice a week after a day in the office is often a highlight.
Q: Where does your passion for environmentally friendly, sustainable and quality lawn care come from?
A: Personally, I love the outdoors, while living in the islands one of the many things that I valued and still stays with me is the state motto, “Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono.” Translation: The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness. This is seen every day and in almost every action taken and is something I want to influence and help our community in Orange County be more aware of. We only have the land we were given; if we destroy the life it holds, it is lost forever. On the business side, while also in Hawaii, I was a member of the Hogan Entrepreneurs, whose motto is: "Doing business things that make social sense. Doing social things that make business sense." These two mottos really contribute to my mindset and how I tend to handle my personal and professional life.
Enter the perfect mesh and opportunity: Clean Air Lawn Care, whose mission is to change the way America cares for lawns by empowering our local owners and managers to deliver an exceptional lawn care service that improves the quality of life in their communities.
As I began speaking with Kelly Giard, founder of Clean Air Lawn Care Inc. and 2009 Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year (Entrepreneur Magazine) about the damaging effects that traditional gas-powered mowers and equipment have on the environment and the alternatives that are out there that can avoid these, I knew that this was something that Southern California needed. It was my opportunity to make a difference, and have a direct effect on the air, land, ocean and future generations.
Q: How do you VOTE GREEN EVERYDAY?
A: By staying aware and conscious. Almost everything we do and purchase has an effect on the environment in some form. My wife and I take an extra second to ask, “Do we really need this and what are our other options?” We do our best to avoid purchasing single use items; multi-use items not only serve multiple purposes but will don’t end up in the landfill, and we choose used/recyclable alternatives. We also use natural lighting as much as possible, such as windows and a fan as opposed to air conditioners during the summer. We opt for blankets or sweatshirts instead of the heater during the frigid winter months here in Orange County. We use scrap paper in our computer, collect from work and reuse the blank sides. We try to keep things simple.
Q: What is your favorite way to conserve water?
A: Our favorite ways to conserve water are the simple ones. We don’t run a dishwasher, wash dishes by hand once daily as needed, run full loads of laundry, take quick showers and turn the water off while brushing our teeth. One slightly untraditional way we conserve water is reducing the amount of flushes daily, with the exception of when we have company over, of course. Hey, if it’s yellow, let it mellow!
Q: Please share a little about your company – Clean Air Lawn Care.
A: Clean Air Lawn Care is a sustainable, professional, weekly lawn care and maintenance service. We use electric mowers and equipment that are charged solar power (renewable energy), releasing zero emissions into the air. One of the major differences between your traditional gas-powered (consume 580 million gallons of gasoline annually) and the electric-powered counterpart is the amount of pollution released with regard to both noise and air pollution. Electric equipment is 50 - 70% quieter than gas-powered lawn equipment and according to the EPA, in one hour, one gas lawn mower emits the same amount of hydrocarbons (precursors to ground-level ozone) as an SUV driven 23,600 miles.
Our goal is to change the way America mows the lawn, whether it be through purchasing an electric or reel mower to use on their own lawn or by switching to a sustainable service such as ours. This is only the tip of the iceberg, and there is a lot of great information to share that will help inspire change in the local community. Next week we will taking part and supporting the Huntington/Seal Beach Surfrider Foundation at their inaugural Hacker’s Fest, St. Patrick’s Golf Tournament. Rumor has it, there may be some type of solar-powered smoothie event near months end, so stay tuned. More information can also be found at www.cleanairlawncarelosangeles.com or facebook.com/CleanAirLawnsOC
Q: Do you have any favorite green or sustainable places or things to do in Newport-Mesa that you could recommend?
A: I love cycling the bike path through the Back Bay on the Mountain to Sea trail and taking in the beauty and tranquilly of nature. I look forward to sharing this with my children, nieces and nephews in the years and decades ahead. Beyond the Back Bay, most of my favorites in the area include the great places that have hosted OC GreenDrinks.
As we approach St. Fitzpatrick’s Day, Kevin wanted to share a relevant quote.
"The Supreme Reality of Our Time is ... the Vulnerability of our Planet" – John F. Kennedy
Kevin can be reached at 714.425.7576 and by email: kmcdonald@cleanairlawncare.com facebook.com/CleanAirLawnsOC
Jim Fitzpatrick is a contributing writer to the Daily Voice. His Green Living column appears every Friday.
Reader Comments (2)
If you're in uncomfortable position and have no money to move out from that point, you would need to take the loan. Because it should aid you emphatically. I take secured loan every single year and feel good just because of this.
Good stuff ! I like this marketing position, I might have to integrate it into my lawncare company in Calgary Alberta. thanks !
www.greenedge-lawncare.com