February 1, 2022
Greetings!

Thanks once again for your support for the elimination of gas leaf blowers in Multnomah County! Resolution 2021-094 passed on Dec. 16th with a unanimous vote from the county commissioners. We are now assisting with the formation of a joint city-county workgroup to map out the transition.

Next effort: Schools! 

We need your help to keep our schools free of dangerous emissions and noise from gas leaf blowers. Please advocate for your school or school district to use safer, cleaner, quieter, equipment on school grounds. Download the relevant document below for detailed directions and contacts. If you live outside Portland or Oregon, you can still take the same actions in your area.


Please keep us apprised of your successes - email albert@albertkaufman.com. Thank you for advocating to protect the health and safety of school children, school employees, and landscape workers!

If you're inclined to take further action, here are a few ideas.

In other news….

·        We are now on Instagram at @quietcleanpdx - please follow us!
·        Congratulations to our Washington, D.C. sister group, whose leaf blower ban took effect on January 1st, 2022, and includes a rebate program. Read more about this hard-won victory below.
·        We’ve updated our list of eco-friendly yard care services. Please spread the word.

Read on below for other great new developments and opportunities.
 
Cheers and happy February from the Quiet Clean PDX team!

Albert Kaufman, Brian Stewart, Judy Walton, Michael Hall, Stan Penkin, Susan Mates, Tamara Olcott
At Alameda Elementary School 1.7.22
1.7.22 At Alameda School - Close up
Tree-mendous news: noisy gas-powered leaf blowers banned ...

A roaring and often harmful cacophony that has long afflicted Washington DC has finally been silenced. Not the roar of politicians sounding off, alas, but the use (and sale) of gasoline-powered leaf blowers, banned since New Year's Day. Anyone...

Read more
www.theguardian.com
A Dance of Legislation - DC Does It!

In the 1970s my close friend Eric Redman, while still in law school, published a book called The Dance of Legislation . It was based on Ric's time as a college staffer for Warren Magnuson, then a very powerful Senator, and it became an instant...

Read more
fallows.substack.com
Opinion: Take the lawn and garden 'Hippocratic Oath' and ...

by Kathy Sykes Some good news - the DC ban on gas-powered leaf blowers goes into effect on January 1st, 2022. Through December 31st, DC is offering a rebate program for electric leaf blowers: $75 for commercial-sized blowers and $50 for...

Read more
www.foresthillsconnection.com
Portland Civic Life Update

Read section titled "Multnomah County Bans Gas-powered Leaf Blowers"

Read more
mailchi.mp
Are you interested in learning how to be a more effective neighborhood activist through the use of digital tools such as email newsletters, social media, and Nextdoor? If so, Albert will lead a free training on Thursday, February 11th @ 11 am PST. Register here.
These are our new postcards - Let Nancy know how many you'd like and how to get them to you!