Of Lawn Mowers and Greed: Republican Senator Bond Opts for Profits Over Clean Air

At first glance, a story about lawn mowers seems frivolous and trivial. But a second glance reveals it to be important and symbolic of Americans' frustrations with this greedy Republican-led Congress which places profits and politics over the common good of our country and the environment.

Here are the stark facts:

-- Gasoline-powered lawn mowers provide more than 2% of California's smog from all engines, per the California Air Resources Board. Scientists believe that percentage to be the same across the US. Per the New York Times, "Gallon for gallon...the 2006 lawn mower engines contribute 93 times more smog-forming emissions than 2006 cars...." Six million new combustion-engine lawn mowers are now sold each year in the US.

-- In 2003 and 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), a moderate Democrat, introduced legislation to require catalytic converters on all gasoline-powered lawn mowers. Catalytic converters are golf-ball sized attachments that reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. Converters also cause souped-up engines to use more fuel, and to run a bit less efficiently. Catalytic converters have been required on all California motor vehicles for more than 30 years.

-- Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO) attempted to kill lawn mower reform legislation in both 2003 and 2005. Senator Bond was able to severely limit this legislation by causing it to apply only to California and to delay implementation until 2007. Bond, whose state is home to two Briggs & Stratton factories, a dominant engine manufacturer in the lawn care equipment field, claimed that catalytic converters would cause lawn mowers to become extreme fire hazards.

-- Senator Bond, who is the powerful chair of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that controls spending for both the EPA and the Federal Trade Commission, forced the Senate to undertake two studies of lawn mower fire hazards posed by increased air quality regulations. Those two studies, by the EPA and the respected National Research Council, were both issued in March 2006. Both scientific studies refuted Senator Bond's contentions, and supported Senator Feinstein's legislation of lawn mowers.

-- Senator Bond now criticizes the EPA study, claiming it was "not a public process." And per the Times, Briggs & Stratton wants a new study done by a Swedish government institute, and it's pushing Senator Bond and Congress to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to review (and second-guess) the EPA study.

-- The new lawn mower regulations are set to take effect in California in 2007, but few expect Senator Bond and Briggs & Stratton to remain acceptingly silent on this matter.
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Rather than choosing to innovate and invest in the next generation of "green" lawn mowers, Briggs & Stratton seemingly chooses to fight for profit-laden status quo by lobbying Congress. And four-term Senator Christopher Bond (D-MO) uses his considerable influence to choose corporate profits and political contributions over protection of the health and environment of the United States .

Fancy lawn mowers with automatic transmissons and souped-up engines may seem frivolous for massive national attention. But, my friends, this matter perfectly exemplifies the American public's frustration with this Republican-led Congress.

Think Democratic in November 2006. Let's rid Congress of Republican corruption and cronysim.
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For more information on this issue, I recommend the following sources:
-- A Greener Way to Cut the Grass Runs Afoul of a Powerful Lobby , New York Times on April 24, 2006
-- Sen. Kit Bond: Mowing down Lawn Mower Reform , Think Progress blog, part of the Center for American Progress think tank, on April 24, 2006
-- Greening the American Lawn , a New York Times editorial on April 25, 2006
-- Profile of US Senator Dianne Feinstein of California
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