Small Engine Mowers Are Forced to Go Green:

In early September 2008, the Environtal Protion Agency (EPA) passed regulans t will cause ll ine makers like Briggs Stratton to rethink how they make market their ines.

The design of laws t seek to uce ll ine emions by 35% is to ensure a ller carbon footprint save Americans money, but it will c them initially. This is justified by the promise of a savings of 190 million gallons of gasoline each year once all ll ines are verted to emion-busting stards in 2011.

As h alm any advancet in lowing lawn mr emions the sumer will see an increase in c h the systems. While we may think of this change in relan to lawn mrs we can't forget gas p weed trimmers, hedgers recreanal watercraft.

The truth is marine equipt t relies on ll ines will have to meet the requirets by 2010. They will also be requi to uce marine motor emions by 70%.

M analysts are agreed t any ll ine change t could aff this kind of ucn in emions would likely require the use of a catalytic verter.

Sl ine manufacturers have opposed these rules for years, had the backing of Senator Kit Bond from Mouri who sided h manufacturers who may have side the proposed regulans as too restrictive fea a larger price tag might mean dsfied customers. Many now believe the change was either inevitable or timely depending irely on perspive.

It has been estimated by the EPA t the changes will likely c about $235 million a year. M of t increase will be passed on to the sumer. Briggs Stratton officials have made it clear the c of their motors will go up when these regulans take eff.

Many lawn care profesnals have expressed cern over the inevitable price increase leaving some to wonder if they can tinue in a business t, for some, has been a life long love affair h the outdoors. To put this in perspive a lawn care provider has already accepted the loss of revenue from higher fuel prices, but even if they replaced older equipt h lesser quality equipt it will still c from $35-$180 more per mr. This has the potial of eroding an already slim profit margin.

As h any report there is always another perspive. The s t excites many is a statet made by Bill Becker who heads the Nanal Associan of Clean Air Agencies. Becker stated, "This rule will be the air pollun equival of removing one out of every five cars trucks on the road."

Analysts further exp fewer deaths associated h lawn mr emions as well as other ll ine carbon based discharge.

Many retailers have already cluded t when it comes to ll ine machinery they will not likely see a drop in sales, at least when it comes to mrs. The prevailing belief is t while a jet ski might be a luxury a mr is often a necessity.

Some retailers are also stocking up on existing mrs due to the fact they will be grfathe in. Existing units will not be subj to the EPA rules so some business owners will attempt to stockpile older units for sale even after the regulans go into eff.

Sl ine manufacturers have expressed a committ to work h regulators to find soluns to a drop in overall emions will be aiming at the target dates set by the EPA.

~Ben Anton, 2008