Thinking about Grass

LAWNMOWER TYPE               LBS. OF CO2 RELEASED TO ATMOSPHERE
 
Gasoline   ( 1 hour )                                          30.53 lbs

Electric, from Coal    ( 1 hour )                           .66 lbs. 

Electric, from Natural Gas ( 1 hour )                  .26 lbs.

Electric, from Wind Power  ( 1 hour )                   0 lbs.

Electric, from Solar Power   ( 1 hour )                  0  lbs.     

Hand        ( 1 hour )                                              0 lbs.


notes:
Gasoline and coal release a host of other greenhouse gasses as well as just CO2 - this post only looks at CO2.   / Gasoline is 87% carbon - when it burns it combines with Oxygen and resultant CO2 weighs 3.7 times the original weight of the Carbon and greatly exceeds the weight of the gasoline itself.  /  Sample electric lawnmower specs :  13 amp, 120 v. , generated from coal at .95kg CO2/5 KwH, from nat. gas @.6kg CO2/5 KwH /  sample Gasoline mower consumes 1.5 gal/hr ) (epa.gov , WolframAlpha )    Not reflected above, lawnmowers are particularly dirty and considerably more polluting than autos for a given amount of gasoline burned. //  Also, some claim that coal-fired power plants may sit around in stand-by mode to back up wind and solar sources when they fail to generate sufficient power,  and thereby increase their carbon footprint per KwH. Others claim that with good grid planning and design, this doesn't happen.

Lawnmower Injury ( flickr.com )