The EPA says each year Americans clock
in more than 3 billion hours using yard equipment-with a push power
mower emitting as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower,
34 cars.
Tending to the lawn and being kind to Mother Nature have been at odds
since the first power mower was manufactured in 1919.
From the sprawling fields of rural America to the manicured lawns of
suburbia, our ceaseless weekend obsession has wreaked havoc on the
environment.
The worst culprits are emissions and water waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency says each year Americans clock in
more than 3 billion hours using yard equipment -- with a push power
mower emitting as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower,
34 cars.
Our habits at the spigot can be just as careless. Collectively, we douse
our lawns with more than 7 billion gallons of water in just one day. As
much as half of that is wasted through evaporation, wind or runoff.
Things have gotten better. Many people have swapped out gas-guzzling
machines for electric ones, and old-fashioned, motorless reel mowers are
all the rage.
But here's a way to really keep up with the Joneses: A hybrid, robotic
lawnmower and plants that twitter when they're thirsty.
Say goodbye to toiling behind a hefty gas-guzzling mower.
Say hello to your new best friend, the batteryand solar-powered robotic
mower. This happy helper zips across the lawn, cutting work time,
emissions and, of course, the grass.
Husqvarna's Automower Solar Hybrid zigzags across the lawn within the
boundaries of a wire that the user has staked in the ground.
It maneuvers around obstacles with its lip sensor, which makes the robot
reverse course when it nudges the oak tree or side of the house.
To protect people and animals from a robot attack, the blade stops the
moment it senses a bump or if the mower is lifted.
Solar cells extend the battery life anywhere from 10 percent to 30
percent, and when the mower has puttered out, the 22-pound device crawls
back to its base to recharge for another cycle.
Other similar products include Kyodo America's LawnBott and Friendly
Robotics' Robomow. Robotic mowers cost anywhere between $1,000 and
$3,000.
. . .
Some other possibilities:
* Eco Trimmer and the new Eco Blower from Lehr Inc. offers
propane-powered lawn equipment. The blower will be made available just
in time for the fall foliage.
The company says its Eco Trimmer already meets new EPA regulation
standards that will take effect in 2010 and 2011.
The Department of Energy says that replacing gasoline with propane in
small engines like lawn equipment leads to "substantial" reductions in
emissions, though the full impact has yet to be quantified in studies.
* Plant Sense's EasyBloom, an environmental sensor that costs $40 to
$60 to analyze the sunlight, temperature, humidity and soil drainage.
Simply stick it in the soil for one day, then plug it into your
computer's USB jack and behold the breadth of the gardening guru's
wisdom.
Matching the data from the soil to the EasyBloom's library of plants, it
suggests the best vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs and flowers suited
for your garden.
* Cyber-Rain's XCI Controller ($570 to $675) is like your irrigation
system's own Facebook page.
The system enables your sprinkler system and laptop to communicate
wirelessly, pulling weather updates, tracking water usage and irrigating
your yard accordingly.
The company estimates that users slash their watering time by about 38
percent, which can translate into savings of up to 40 percent on water
bills.
* Gardena Aqua Contour system ($395 to $675) is a single sprinkler
head that can water an entire lawn up to 4000 square feet. The device is
completely solar powered, with a back up lithium battery for cloudy
days.
The sprinkler can be programmed to irrigate the unique shape of your
lawn, launching water with customized precision in each area of grass.
Timers, rain sensors and soil moisture sensors can be added to the
system to monitor moisture, prevent water waste and irrigate the lawn
with little human prompting.
With only one sprinkler head that requires a single supply pipe, there's
no need to tear up the whole lawn for multiple sprinkler heads and a
network of pipes.

