Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published December 18, 2023 5:00 AM
Florencio Molina picks up the battery to attach to his electric leaf blower on a recent afternoon. (Molina declined to have his face shown in the photo.)
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
Pasadena and other cities in the Southland have banned the use of noisy and smelly gas leaf blowers. These small machines are significant polluters, but many small businesses are struggling as a result of the transition.
Why it matters: Using a gas leaf blower for just one hour spews the same amount of smog-forming pollution as driving a gas passenger car more than a thousand miles, according to state data. Nationwide, a recent study found that lawn equipment alone — such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers — emit more planet-heating carbon dioxide than the entire city of L.A. does in a single year.
The effect on small businesses: For many small landscape business owners, the mandate is hurting their business and pushing others out of the industry altogether. There is funding available to help them transition, but that money many not keep up with the demand.
What's next: Astatewide law banning the sale of new gas-powered lawn and other small outdoor equipment goes into effect in January
As the climate crisis escalates, more cities are doubling down on gas leaf blower bans. And the sound of electric leaf blowers — decibels lower — is in the air.
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Leaf Blower Bans Are A Win For Climate, But Small Businesses Are Struggling to Adapt
The amount of pollution these small machines create is significant:
Using a gas leaf blower for just one hour spews the same amount of smog-forming pollution as driving a gas passenger car 1,100 miles, according to state data.
Nationwide, a recent study found that lawn equipment alone — such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers — emit more planet-heating carbon dioxide than the entire city of L.A. does in a single year.
For decades, Southland cities have tried to nix gas leaf blowers. Beverly Hills has officially banned them since 1976. West Hollywood since 1986. Santa Monica since 1991. And L.A. since 1998.
A brief history of leaf blowers
Leaf blowers were available in the early 1970s, but their use skyrocketed in the 1980s. Not only were they a lot faster and easier than raking leaves, but at the time, to many homeowners, they were seen as a more environmentally-friendly option during drought years — instead of using hose water, homeowners used a leaf blower to clear their porches and driveways.
But as their popularity grew, the noisy and smelly leaf blower also became a nuisance to many. Their effect on air pollution was also becoming more apparent — so in 1990, California enacted a first-in-world policy requiring manufacturers to lower emissions from these machines. That policy was later enforced nationwide.
Through the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, gas leaf blower technology got quieter and less polluting. More electric leaf blowers entered the market. But even with those efforts, electric never overcame gas in popularity for residents and businesses. Today, gas leaf blowers remain significant polluters: using a gas leaf blower for just one hour is equivalent to driving a new gas car about 1,100 miles — as far as it is to drive from L.A. to Denver.
Enforcing leaf blower bans
Pasadena’s ban on gas leaf blowers went into effect in April — and it's one of the few cities doubling down on enforcing it. Since the ban went into effect, the city has seen monthly complaints about leaf blowers double. City inspectors have issued citations for as much as $200 to gardeners who haven’t switched to electric.
A sign in Pasadena spreading awareness about the city's leaf blower ban.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The city first issues a 30-day warning to get into compliance, then there are escalating fines of $100, $200, and $500. The fourth and highest citation is $1000. If gardeners can provide documents that they’ve purchased equipment, but haven’t received it yet, they won’t be fined, according to the city.
“We believe that enforcement of this ban will improve our air quality, public health and also address issues with respect to noise pollution, which is one of the chief complaints we receive with respect to these leaf blowers,” said Israel Del Toro, the deputy director of Pasadena’s Planning and Community Development Department.
The city has conducted several workshops for local landscapers to test out equipment and learn about the law, but for many small business owners, the mandate is hurting their business and pushing others out of the industry altogether.
“We’re trying to survive”
Florencio Molina has run his gardening business for 30 years. He recently purchased an electric leaf blower because he has a couple of clients in Pasadena. He said the battery technology at this point can’t keep up with the pace and hours of the work.
“It's good for like two hours, so if you don't have a second battery, you're not going to finish your jobs,” Molina said.
Molina was able to purchase an extra battery. But he said another issue is those batteries are really heavy. Just like electric cars, electric leaf blowers can be more than twice as heavy as gas ones — a big lift for someone on their feet all day.
“We get more tired using electric,” Molina said. “It will affect our business.”
Still, Molina added, there’s always a tradeoff.
“It will affect our body,” he said. “For the future, you're protecting your lungs.”
At 63 years old, Molina said he’s close to retiring anyway, so his younger protégé will have to deal with the changes brought by electrification.
Florencio Molina picks up the battery to attach to his electric leaf blower on a recent afternoon. (Molina declined to have his face shown in the photo).
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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But landscaper Luis Rodriguez said he’s considering leaving the business altogether. He was recently issued a warning for using a gas leaf blower in Pasadena, which is why he was buying a brand new electric one when I met him.
“We’re not making a lot of money in this business,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying to survive. And now, they are pushing us to quit this job.”
We’re trying to survive. And now, they are pushing us to quit this job.
— Luis Rodriguez, a landscaper with clients in Pasadena.
Electric leaf blowers can cost four times as much as gas ones — upwards of $2,600 for the most powerful commercial models, as opposed to about $600 for gas.
Rodriguez said a few of his clients have helped him purchase electric equipment. But since most of his clients are in the city, and with the technology as it currently stands, he’d need to purchase an extra battery or several, which are the most expensive part of an electric kit.
Those costs are a big part of why, at 55, he’s considering closing his landscaping business and moving into another industry.
“I was thinking just leave Pasadena first, and then find another job, maybe work for a company,” he said. “Why don’t they go with the big business? They go with us first. All the time they go with the poor people first.”
Luis Rodriguez just purchased a new electric leaf blower because he received a warning for using a gas one in Pasadena. (Rodriguez declined to have his photo taken).
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Erin Stone
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Funding to help small businesses transition
The state launched a program last year offering vouchers of up to $400 to help small businesses purchase electric equipment, but after providing vouchers for more than 62,000 pieces of electric lawn and garden tools, the program — which started with $27 million in the pot — has already run out of funding.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District also has a voucher program, partially funded by the state, that covers up to 85% of the cost of commercial landscape equipment. That program, which is also available to local governments, schools, and nonprofits, requires landscapers to turn in their gas-powered tool. (The agency also has a rebate program for residents to buy electric lawn mowers).
That program’s funding opened in March 2023 with $4.6 million available. Now there’s $3.4 million left, which is meant to last through 2034, though the agency plans to work to find additional funding if the money runs out before then.
“That incentive approach combined with regulation will be necessary for an equitable transition to cleaner technology,” Kim White, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement to LAist.
Funding for electric lawn equipment
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, or SCAQMD, offers vouchers that cover up to 85% of the cost of electric equipment for commercial landscapers. Learn more here.
SCAQMD also offers rebates for homeowners to purchase electric lawn mowers. Learn more here.
The California CORE program may replenish funding for its voucher program for electric landscaping equipment in the future. You can stay up to date and learn more here.
Outsize burden on the “little guy”
Alvaro Huerta, an associate professor at Cal Poly Pomona, helped organize the Association of Latin American Gardeners of Los Angeles in the mid-1990s to fight L.A.’s ban on leaf blowers back then. While that fight was largely about the jail sentence that came with L.A.’s original proposed ban (there’s no jail sentence for noncompliance anymore, thanks to the organization’s efforts), Huerta said the current approach has a disproportionate impact on largely Latino small businesses, workers and immigrants.
Local landscaper Luis Rodriguez holds the battery for his new electric leaf blower (Rodriguez declined to have his photo taken).
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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“This is something that we were arguing in 1996, that they should go after the manufacturers,” Huerta said. “Why are you attacking the little guy? I do believe that they need to be phased out because I am an environmentalist. However, they should be phased out just like cars are being phased out, in a more realistic time frame. The way they're doing it is they're banning them now, and they're punishing them now.”
California’s phase out plan for the trucking industry does allow smaller companies to have more time to transition. As for lawn equipment, in 1990 the state became the first in the world to incentivize lawn equipment manufacturers to create cleaner products. That policy was later enforced nationwide and has helped reduce pollution from these machines significantly.
But the technology (and cost) hasn’t improved enough for commercial landscapers to choose electric over gas, and levels of pollution from them still haven’t fallen — pound for pound — as much as pollution from cars and trucks. In fact, as more people switch to electric cars, the state expects pollution from small lawn and garden equipment to be double the pollution from light-duty passenger cars by 2031.
A commercial electric leaf blower.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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That’s why a statewide law banning the sale of new gas-powered lawn and other small outdoor equipment goes into effect in January, a further incentive for manufacturers that will likely impact the entire nation, as California’s clean car rules have in the past.
A changing lawn equipment industry
Commercial electric leaf blowers sold at Lawn Mower Corner in Pasadena.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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For the vendors that sell this lawn equipment, the story’s a little different. Charles Kim helps run his family’s long-time business Lawn Mower Corner in Pasadena. He said 2023 has been a great year for sales because of the electric leaf blower mandates.
“But we look at it as a short term gain, with a long term pain,” Kim said.
He noted that about 40% of their business right now is maintaining older gas equipment, such as changing oil and cleaning carburetors. Electric equipment, on the other hand, requires very little, if any, ongoing maintenance.
He said to adapt, the store is diversifying the type of products they sell. For example, they’re expanding from largely commercial equipment to other types of lawn and garden supplies.
“That's what we had to do to not put our eggs in one basket,” Kim said.
And for now, he said they’re stockpiling gas equipment to sell into the new year because the statewide rule banning the sale of all new gas-powered lawn equipment goes into effect in January.
Celebrate Orange County's Latino communities at Santa Ana's Fiestas Patrias on Sept. 12 and 13.
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Courtesy City of Santa Ana
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A play looks back on 9/11, NFL season kicks off, a Mexican Independence day celebration in Santa Ana, postcards from Ukraine and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights
NFL season is here again, and the Rams first game of the year is taking on our neighbors to the north, the 49ers. Head to the Regent for a free watch party.
There’s still plenty of good weather for a free outdoor Americana folk concert, and that’s exactly what’s in store at Santa Monica’s Gandara Park.
Celebrate Orange County's vibrant Latino communities at Santa Ana's Fiestas Patrias in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day.
I was fortunate to get a sneak peek at the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art last week and given how many thoughts our Best Things to Do readers had on the new LACMA Geffen Galleries, I can’t wait to hear what you think of the Lucas once it opens to the public on Sept. 22. Please share your thoughts when you go!
I was blown away by the building — it’s light and airy while feeling futuristic and somewhat imposing at the same time. The gardens are green and have plenty of places to sit and soak up the sun or the shade, and the reading room (which will be free and open to all) is definitely going on the "best places to cowork" list. The art collection is mostly organized by subject rather than era and includes works by artists from Norman Rockwell to Frida Kahlo to Banksy to Lucas himself via the many pieces of Star Wars history on display. There's truly something for everyone.
Thursday, Sept. 10, 5:35 p.m. The Regent 448 Main St., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Regent Theater
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I guess summer really is over because football season is here again and the Rams first game of the year is taking on our neighbors to the north, the 49ers. Head to the Regent for a free watch party; there’s a state-of-the-art sound system and LED video wall, plus it’s free.
Americana in the Park
Sunday, Sept. 13, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Gandara Park 1819 Stewart Ave., Santa Monica COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Alright, kids are back in school and football season started, but is it ever really not summer here? There’s still plenty of good weather for a free outdoor Americana folk concert and that’s exactly what’s in store at Santa Monica’s Gandara Park. Put on by our friends at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, there will be performances from Albert Lee, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, Abby Posner & the Big Fall, Jason Luckett, the Bob Baker Marionettes.
Fiestas Patrias Festival
Sept. 12-13 Multiple locations, Downtown Santa Ana COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Celebrate Orange County's vibrant Hispanic and Latino communities at Santa Ana's Fiestas Patrias in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day. There’s a parade and street fair, live entertainment from local bands, carnival rides, food, and more.
Steel Magnolias
Thursday, Sept. 10, 7:35pm Rooftop Cinema Club 888 S. Olive St., 4th Floor, Downtown L.A. COST: $31.05; MORE INFO
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Rooftop Cinema Club
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Rooftop Cinema Club is honoring Dolly Parton’s legacy with a screening of the ultimate ode to Southern female friendship, Steel Magnolias (in both Spanish and English), with 10 percent of ticket sales benefiting Parton's Imagination Library.
Staged reading of WTC View
Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m. Celebration Theatre & LA LGBT Center The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (Renberg Theatre) 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood COST: FROM $29; MORE INFO
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Los Angeles LGBT Center
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Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) directs this special September 11 anniversary reading of WTC View, Brian Sloan’s 2003 play about the weeks following 9/11 in Lower Manhattan. The story looks at a gay photographer’s struggle to find community in a time of societal and personal change. “I was just beginning my third year of drama school in New York on 9/11, and I vividly remember how raw we New Yorkers still were when we premiered the play in 2003,” said Urie. “Now Brian’s beautiful play is a time capsule of those weeks following 9/11, when we were all babies in a new world and the interactions we had with strangers were so intimate and heartfelt.”
Spotlight Arts Festival
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2 to 5 p.m. Bank of America Performing Arts Center 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Eventbrite
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The first-ever Spotlight Arts festival in Thousand Oaks brings together local artists, performers, and community organizations for a free afternoon of art, music, creativity, and connection. The festival will feature 15-minute live performances from a range of local groups, artist booths, hands-on activities, live painting, and more.
Maria Koutsogiannis in Conversation with Gaby Dalkin
Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. Now Serving 727 N. Broadway, #133, Chinatown COST: FROM $11.49; MORE INFO
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Eventbrite
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Didn’t get to the Greek Islands this summer? No problem. Greek chef, author, and Instagram favorite Maria Koutsogiannis is bringing Greece to us as her debut cookbook, Greek Out, launches at Now Serving. The book features more than 120 Greek-inspired recipes alongside personal stories rooted in family, culture and tradition. She’ll be in conversation with Gaby Dalkin at Now Serving.
Come as You Are: The Musical
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. The Ripped Bodice 3806 Main St., Culver City COST: $22.58, MORE INFO
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Eventbrite
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Emily Nagoski, PhD has the answers to all the things you were afraid to ask about sex – and now you can sing along. The New York Times best-selling author of Come As You Are and Come Together has packed her ukulele for a fun night of music and sex talk (what could be better?) at the best romance book store around, Culver City’s The Ripped Bodice.
Postcode Ukraine: Diary of a Volunteer
Sept. 11-30 Westwood Contemporary 1101 Westwood Blvd., Westwood Village COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Postcode Ukraine
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postcodeukraine.com
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As we head into a fifth year of war in Ukraine, the Wende Museum’s Westwood Contemporary is highlighting the work of British photographer Mark Neville, who has been documenting the lives of everyday Ukrainians through his expansive project, Postcode Ukraine. Postcode Ukraine: Diary of a Volunteer is here through the end of the month, ahead of a larger international tour.
By Christopher Weber and Amy Taxin | Associated Press
Published September 8, 2026 5:09 PM
Emergency vehicles repond to the chemical leak in LA Habra on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
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Jae C. Hong
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Associated Press
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Topline:
A slow leak from a chemical tank smeared an orange cloud across the sky of a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday, but authorities said they quickly got it under control.
Why it matters: Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon said authorities responded to a La Habra business that makes cleaning products after receiving a call shortly before noon about the cloud. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, Katon said.
The chemical: They do not yet know what the chemical was, but all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, Katon said.
What's next: The regional air quality management district has deployed staff to the area to investigate, said Connie Villanueva, a spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
A slow leak from a chemical tank smeared an orange cloud across the sky of a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday, but authorities said they quickly got it under control.
Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon said authorities responded to a business that makes cleaning products after receiving a call shortly before noon about the cloud. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, Katon said.
They do not yet know what the chemical was, but all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, he said. The regional air quality management district has deployed staff to the area to investigate, said Connie Villanueva, a spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The company, Shepard Bros., could not immediately be reached for comment.
Three company employees reported minor respiratory irritation and declined further treatment, Katon said.
The leak occurred in the city of La Habra near a mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial warehouses about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Anaheim.
Keary Godinez, who works in a nearby restaurant, said she saw what appeared to be a dark yellow cloud spread across the sky. The 20-year-old said she watched students across the street board buses to evacuate, but police told her the eatery could remain open.
“It looked like pollen dust,” Godinez said, adding she didn’t detect a smell from the cloud. “It just kind of smeared in the sky and started going away.”
La Habra Mayor Jose Medrano had urged residents to shelter in place and said some streets were being evacuated.
Luis Gomez, who manages a nearby pickleball program, said earlier Tuesday he saw the cloud, called police and was told anyone within a mile radius of the location was under an evacuation order.
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Lakers head coach Phil Jackson celebrates after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals.
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Christian Petersen
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena next year. The Lakers announced the plan Tuesday to honor Jackson, who led the Lakers to five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances during two stints totaling 11 seasons as their head coach.
The backstory: After his famed tenure leading Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to six championships, Jackson joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately began another era of major success for the 17-time NBA champion franchise. His first three teams in Los Angeles won championships behind the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers added two more titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Bryant and Pau Gasol. His Lakers also made the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008.
What's next: The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers’ home game against Minnesota.
The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena next year.
The Lakers announced the plan Tuesday to honor Jackson, who led the Lakers to five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances during two stints totaling 11 seasons as their head coach.
The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers’ home game against Minnesota.
After his famed tenure leading Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to six championships, Jackson joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately began another era of major success for the 17-time NBA champion franchise.
His first three teams in Los Angeles won championships behind the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers added two more titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Bryant and Pau Gasol. His Lakers also made the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008.
Jackson set the Lakers franchise record for coaches with 610 victories while leading his teams to the playoffs in every year of his tenure, which ended in 2011.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. After he accepted my dad’s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil’s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.”
Jackson will be the ninth person associated with the Lakers to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza outside their arena. He joins Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bryant, O’Neal, broadcaster Chick Hearn and former coach Pat Riley, whose statue was unveiled earlier this year.
Jackson’s 11 championships as a head coach are the most in NBA history. The North Dakota native and former New York Knicks forward is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published September 8, 2026 3:25 PM
Clouds form over Venice Beach in August. Tropical moisture from Hurricane Marie is currently causing extreme humidity in Southern California this week.
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Apu Gomes
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of Southern California from Wednesday morning through Thursday.
The details: This week’s combination of heat and humidity could be worse than it has been all summer. Forecasters say temperatures will peak on Wednesday. Highs could get up to the triple digits. Overnight lows will also stay elevated. They may only get down to the 70s in places, offering little relief from the heat.
The humidity: Climate experts say the humidity this week could be some of the highest on record in Southern California, even after a summer marked by repeated humid heatwaves. The moisture in the air, combined with the extreme heat, makes it increasingly difficult for the human body to cool down, especially when outdoors. It’s also driving scattered rain and thunderstorms that will continue for the next few days.
The backstory: The tropical moisture is due in large part to the leftovers of Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. On top of that, record high ocean temperatures off the Southern California coast are adding to the humidity.
