About leaf blowers and waste disposals, I think it&#x27;s not about the &quot;effects&quot; so much as the item itself. These devices do perform a function but their original reason for existing is arguably to profitably sell motors (or small engines in the case of the leaf blower). Having lived mostly in countries where they aren&#x27;t used, I&#x27;d say it&#x27;s a skepticism about the real utility of the device that makes them unsuccessful there, not a reasoned assessment of the effects of widespread use.