Spring is Mower Tune-Up Time: Consumers Encouraged to do Something Good for the Earth Tuning America's Mowers Could Save 132 Million Gallons of Gas

MILWAUKEE- If all 66 million lawn mowers in the United States are tuned up this spring, everyone will breath a little easier.

Something as simple as tuning up the family’s lawn mower is an amazingly effective Earth-friendly thing to do, according to the sponsors of Spring is Mower Tune-Up Time, Briggs & Stratton Corporation and The National Arbor Day Foundation. Tuning up one typical walk-behind lawn mower can eliminate the same amount of exhaust emissions produced by driving a car 26 miles, according to Briggs & Stratton research engineers.

Tuning up all 66 million mowers also could conserve about two gallons of gas per mower over the mowing season as well as prolong the life of the equipment. The problem is that 40 million mower-owning households – 60 percent – don’t perform an annual tune-up or any maintenance to help their mowers run cleaner and more efficiently,” notes Cherie Burns-Boldt, manager, service marketing at Briggs & Stratton. “Through Spring is Mower Tune-Up Time we are encouraging consumers to be more environmentally-conscious right in their own backyards by performing this simple task.”

“A tune-up can reduce emissions up to 50 percent and reduce fuel consumption up to 30 percent,” she added.

Briggs & Stratton, along with The National Arbor Day Foundation, launched Spring is Mower Tune-Up Time this year to build awareness for how something as simple as tuning up the family’s lawn mower can have an impact on the environment. The program encourages families to Strive for Five – five simple things to do inside and outside their homes that will have a positive impact on the environment.

Planting a new tree is one Strive for Five suggestion. “Trees help clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. At the same time, they help prevent soil erosion, shade our homes and beautify our yards and neighborhoods,” explains John Rosenow, president of The National Arbor Day Foundation.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the largest manufacturer of small, air-cooled engines for outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, pressure washers and generators. Aggressive research and innovative technology have enabled Briggs & Stratton to reduce engine emissions by 70 percent since 1990.

The engines are backed by an authorized service network of more than 30,000 dealers worldwide. Briggs & Stratton engines can be found powering equipment in more than 90 countries on all seven continents.

Founded in 1972, The National Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit organization established to help people plant and care for trees. The Foundation's national membership has grown to nearly one million members, with eight million trees distributed to its members annually. For additional information about The National Arbor Day Foundation, visit www.arborday.org, call (402) 474-5655, or write to:The National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE68410.

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