• iloveDigit@sh.itjust.works
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    4 days ago

    Pretty sure the mowing is the exact problem. Can’t remember if it’s solved by using an old school push-powered mower or something

    Edit - after looking into it, seems like push mowers don’t help because Americans eating meat will cause as much pollution pushing a mower as using gas? Not sure

          • iloveDigit@sh.itjust.works
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            4 days ago

            I don’t think I trust the studies saying human power is worse tbh. Cultivating food uses CO2, cows eat plants before we eat them, the plants drink CO2 from the air. Lawnmower takes power out of the ground and injects pollution in the air. Scythe has to be better

            • psud@aussie.zone
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              4 days ago

              An electric mower runs on sunlight (at least mine does), at some point their batteries will be recyclable. They have to be better than both

              • iloveDigit@sh.itjust.works
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                3 days ago

                Electric is definitely about as bad as gas for mowing a lawn. The gas you’re not using is just being used by someone else, if not more, because you’re helping subsidize the petrodollar economy by paying orders of magnitude higher cost for batteries+motors+solar power than you would pay for a push mower or probably even a gas-powered mower. But you also have to factor in the other environmental damage from manufacturing and shipping the batteries and solar panels which you make it really difficult to avoid by demanding the mower be electrified, whereas if the mower was push-powered it would be up to suppliers whether they feel like wasting their fuel shipping it across the planet or just manufacturing it with materials found closer to you

                • psud@aussie.zone
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                  3 days ago

                  Solar power systems pay for themselves in four years, and typically last week in excess of 20.

                  It doesn’t make sense to think they have more energy or material in their construction than they make, as then they would be more expensive

          • iloveDigit@sh.itjust.works
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            4 days ago

            I thought a push mower might help but some studies say it might be worse. I guess the recommendation is to plant something other than grass that naturally stays good to walk on, maybe? I’m still learning about this myself

            • WIZARD POPE💫@lemmy.world
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              4 days ago

              Half the grass behind the house is dead anyway and was replaced by moss naturally. The issue is the moss would dry out faster and die in the summer. The current situation is probably the best