Is The Great Falls Home Depot Store Going Green?

Going green.  The effort has been going on since the 1970's.  Remember the gas crunch?

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As time has meandered on, improvements have been made to many things in our life to help with that same effort.  Restrictions on vehicle emissions, factories following Environmental Protection Agency regulations, (we hope) and even the advent of electric operated vehicles and tools.  Even more change is coming in the near future, and one of the big box stores is starting a charge (see what I did there) to make sure we are all doing our part.

Embracing The Change of the Times and Plugging In

I freely admit I am a gas engine kind of guy.  Nothing beats the rumble of a finely tuned small block motor, or that of 2-stroke motorbike screaming up the side of hill.  And yes, even the sound of my tools.  However, I have embraced some of the technology that is now available.

I love my cordless drills for any project.  Not having extra cords to trip over in the shop or work area is a dream.  My cordless sawzall is a dream at the campsite.  All great tools.  But I have yet to start with my larger items in the garage.

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Namely, all of my gardening tools and lawn equipment.  I just can't bring myself to do it, but Home Depot may have different plans for not only me, but you as well.

When Will My Gas Engine Be Gone from the Store?

In a new announcement, Home Depot states that they will be cutting back on selling gas powered outdoor equipment such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, even the weed eater will be gone.

Now, don't worry.  This isn't a tomorrow kind of thing.  You won't have to run out and replace every single item in your garage.  Yet.  Home Depot expects that 85% of the outdoor lawn equipment it sells will be electric by the year 2028.

As for how much pollution these tools produce, you might be somewhat surprised.  The report says that:

According to industry data, using a gas-powered lawn mower for an hour creates as much air pollution as driving 300 miles in an average car. Running a gas leaf blower for an hour creates the same number of emissions as a 1,100-mile drive or driving from Los Angeles to Denver.

Is that enough to make you want to switch to electric?  I'm not sure I am ready to run out and spend a ton of money on this stuff as of yet, I still have concerns about the power aspects.  What about you?  Have you considered going green?  Let us know in the comments of our social media, the appchat feature or you can email me here.

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