A proposed bill to potentially ban the use of backpack blowers and/or other small gasoline and two stroke engines in RI to start July 23' and phase by 2024. While we respect the ideas of all, we strongly disagree with such bill under many circumstances. First and foremost while we do not argue the fact that emissions are a by product of these aforementioned machines, we must face the fact that we are a heavily foliated area first. Second the alternative would be battery power. The power is not yet here to match output of gas power. The cost of multiple batteries will be passed on to the client, homeowners and businesses who will be subject to this potential change. Businesses and customers are already struggling with high prices for labor, fuel, inflation. Next, we respectfully question the following: 

1. How much waste is consumed just to make the plastic and components of the batteries 

2. What countries supply these batteries and are labor rights enforced, are those countries complying with efforts to be eco friendly 

3. What happens to our waste sites here at home with batteries that may only last a few years at best, only to be dumped in landfills with leeching and runoff potentially harming our tributaries or potential watershed areas

4. Who is going to subsidize this change, the cost to produce the same power surely can not be passed to business owners, their clients or homeowners 

5. Where are we going to generate the power to supply these batteries and how much strain does that adversely put on our power grid 

Please join us and support this petition to say to the RI Senate and its respected members that we vote No to the potential "ban on back pack blowers" aka " RI green new deal"