A familiar fuel can now make some power equipment greener and quieter: propane.

There is something nostalgic about the smell of gasoline or the exhaust from a small engine. It takes many a man back to his youth, when running power equipment was a newly-acquired privilege and symbol of manhood. Combine it with the smell of freshly cut grass, branches, or body parts, and this sweet perfume is a heady dis-incentive to upgrading your smelly power equipment.

Unfortunately, sniffing fuel fumes and exhaust is not only nostalgic, but toxic, carcinogenic -- and just generally "ick". The fumes are hazardous to our health, the climate, and Ma Nature. So guys, maybe it's time to give it up. Trust me, the toughest among us is no match for a cancer cell.

Add to this that small engines are some of the worst polluting engines on the planet because, unlike the car, its emissions have been unregulated. Fortunately, there are now alternatives. You probably know that you can get electric weed whackers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and lawn mowers, and that the resultant emissions at the electric power plant are far less than the emissions from running a small engine. They are also not right under your nose, unless, of course you are into base jumping from power-plant smokestacks and tend to spend a lot of time thinking it over just prior to launch. (Not the world's worst idea, either.)

Battery-powered yard-care devices are in general pretty good quality, 'way quieter, and give as much performance as many people need. In general, however, they are not at the high end of the power or running time spectrum, and then there is the whole issue of how eco-friendly are those rechargeable batteries, anyway? A subject for another time.

What I want to stimulate you with today is the emergence of propane-powered tools! How many times have you wondered, Tim The Tool Man style, how much more power you could get from your electric screwdriver if it had a small combustion engine, maybe run from a torch- or camp stove-style propane tank that screwed on? Oh, come on, sure you have.

While the folks at Lehr have not come out with that beauty, they have come out with a propane-powered string trimmer (LEHR ST025DS 25cc Propane Powered 4-Stroke Detachable Straight-Shaft Eco Trimmer) and leaf blower (LEHR 25cc 4-Stroke Propane Powered 150 MPH Eco Blower/Vac #BV025HH). And, guess what: they run on a standard 16-oz. tank of propane attached with Lehr's Twist 'n Go method. (Score one for those microphones in my head and the little blue men who take notes sitting on my headboard, I guess.)

According to a CBS news report, the 17", 25cc Lehr trimmer puts out "zero evaporative emissions, 96% less carcinogens, and 97% less particulate matter" than the equivalent gas-powered trimmer. (Studies on light-duty propane vehicles showed 40% less total hydrocarbons, 20% less carbon monoxide,30% less nitrous oxides, and 100% less particulate matter) It also runs for 2 hours, weighs pounds less than the two- and four-cycle trimmers I looked up, and according to reviews, is significantly quieter. The cost is reportedly about the same as for gas; cheaper if you can refill your 16-oz bottles.

Look -- clearly the real green approach to lawn care involves a family activity with rakes and trimming wands. It's non-polluting, cheap, quiet, and healthy exercise. If, however, your family is off doing soccer, shopping yard sales, or hiding at the mall, and your outdoors is bigger than one person can handle, the Lehr solution is not a bad one.