The grass is always greener on the other side — on the other side of Portland, that is. And if Carlin Whitehouse has his way, that side will be the Munjoy Hill/East End area.
When Whitehouse was a kid in Kennebunkport, he spent his summers working with a landscape company. He loved the work. What he didn’t love, though, was returning home every day and smelling like an exhaust pipe.
“Reeking of two-cycle exhaust fumes was really disgusting,” says Whitehouse, adding there was something else that always seemed to trouble him.
“Every morning, the first thing we did was go to the gas pump to top off everything, every tank, every can ... it was just so much gas.”
Gas and oil. Two-cycle engines, those used by most lawn mowers and assorted other lawn-grooming implements, require that you mix oil with gas, creating a toxic exhaust. In fact, according towww.peoplepoweredmachines.com, one hour of lawn mowing by a conventional mower produces as many pollutants as 40 late-model cars.
“I guess I like to fancy myself as an environmentalist, but I wanted to do more than walk the walk,” says Whitehouse. “I really want to improve the community, educate people, and get some exposure so that people think about this stuff.”
He also wants to mow your lawn. This summer, Whitehouse started Greener Grass, an emissions-free, noiseless lawn-mowing service that he hopes will take off on Munjoy Hill.
The mower he uses is a slicked-up version of what your great-grandfather may have used, the one with the two big wheels on either side, and the dangerous-looking blades. Whitehouse did a lot of research and found there are a lot of companies out there who are making push mowers again, and they are starting to take off among those who are doing their part to reduce air and noise pollution. Whitehouse got himself a McLane mower, from a company famous for the mowers it manufactures to groom golf courses.
He says his mower is much better for grass than the conventional gas mower.
“A conventional mower spins at such a high rate that it just really rips the grass. What my mower does is slice a blade of grass like a pair of scissors,” says Whitehouse. “It’s precision shearing and it leaves the lawn healthier.”
And free of gas and oil spills that can also be a hazard. Besides, says Whitehouse, most inner city lawns are small, and it doesn’t make any sense to spend the money and compromise the environment with a toxic conventional mower.
Whitehouse also hopes to expand his business, possibly moving next year into some organic grass food and other services. For now, Greener Grass is simply taking orders for noise-free, conscience-minding lawn mowing, with the fee based on the size of the lawn, starting around $20.
“I keep thinking about the term ‘green’ and how it can be used as a cheap, umbrella-like catch term for anything feigning to be environmentally sound,” says Whitehouse. “Ideally, it should represent not just labeling, but a revolution towards a lifestyle and culture that understands that every choice holds power and responsibility to improve our world.”
And, Whitehouse is doing just that, at several revolutions per minute.
For more information about Greener Grass, contact Carlin Whitehouse at 207.761.3739.
