gas-powered mowers and leaf blowers

I'm a lifelong libertarian and believe in individual freedom, property rights, peace, and limited government. However, I strongly supported the California smoking ban because I believe that part of individual freedom is the freedom to breathe clean air and the freedom to actually go to a restaurant and not risk getting lung cancer someday. People sometimes have a hard time understanding that freedom doesn't mean freedom to disturb or cause harm to others. I think this clearly falls under the 'insure domestic tranquility' and 'promote the general welfare' of the Constitution (for those that might find contradiction between libertarianism and a government ban on smoking in restaurants).

I consider gasoline-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers to be in the same category. You are free to do what you want in the privacy of your own home, but I believe that freedom does not extend to projecting noise onto the property of others that is so loud that trying to have a conversation or even a private thought is not possible. It does not extend to polluting the air of someone else's property with gasoline fumes. It does not extend to filling someone else's backyard with dust that could impact their respiratory health.

And that's not even considering the environmental impact of these devices and the health effects on the people operating these devices.

Personally, I believe both gasoline-powered mowers and leaf blowers should be banned at every possible level of government. I think this is a perfect example of where government intervention can be possible in a way that protects the rights of people. The people that are 'harmed' are causing harm and should no longer be allowed to do so.

Anyone interested in helping make that happen, feel free to contact me.