Rake vs. Leaf blower

I wrote my first letter to the editor this morning. It's about leaf blowers.

I grew up in upstate New York but moved to Wyoming several years ago. Revisiting the Adirondacks and fall foliage is a joy. But this year, I noticed something has changed. The rake has been replaced by the leaf blower.
I’m an environmentalist and love working with my hands, so my bias would have me condemn the machine in favor of the wholesome rake. But to be fair, I did some research on the difference between the plastic rake and the 220 mph leaf blower in my folks’ garage. (After all, 220 mph is very cool.) I split the yard and did half with the rake and half with the blower. Here are my results.

Time It took 12 minutes to rake and 23 to blow. Leaves stuck in the grass and ice were the culprit.
Thoroughness My father easily identified the raked side of the yard. The rake is more thorough.
Fun factor The blower was way more fun. Especially when I found the "high" switch.
Physical factor Definite abdominal work with the rake. Potential for blisters. More forearm work with the blower. I could blow with one hand in my pocket.
Carbon footprint No contest

The rake wins. My disclaimer here is that I live in a place where we don’t have leaves to rake. Our "lawn" is made up of sagebrush. I consider it fun to rake. My dad reported that he’s raked/blown 3 times already this fall. I think my attitude would be different if I spent the fall here. (Kind of like how sick we get of shoveling snow in May in Wyoming.)
Nevertheless, I challenge you to revisit the rake. It will help burn off the Thanksgiving calorie surplus, reduce your carbon emissions, keep your neighborhood quieter, and may even be faster.