In Milesi’s studies, she learned that the only places in the US where lawns were natural, not irrigated or fertilized, were small areas in the Northeast and the Great Plains. They have this done because their neighbor does it and his neighbor does it and his neighbor does it. Money – Lawn care products and companies are big business in the US. Many lawn owners also use harmful pesticides and herbicides on their grass. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to conventional lawn care. I'm doing a research paper on fresh water and home lawns. It’s Noisy. Let's ask ourselves: what new social convention could stably signal investment in the community without requiring massive amounts of water and chemicals? EDITORIAL: Using Lake Powell to keep lawns green in Utah would be a waste of resources. Irrigation Agriculture uses about 70 percent of the available freshwater on the planet. People are irrigating, fertilizing, and using a range of pesticides and herbicides to maintain a “weed-free” and lush lawn. “The Lawn-Chemical Economy and its discontents.” Antipode (2003): 955-979. Some of the earliest lawns … So, here’s the downside of our beautiful, European lawns today: In an article on Smithsonian.com, Sarah Zielinski says it nicely, “We should all know by now that lawns of green grass aren’t so “green” for the environment. Sign Up Login. Biodiversity – To a bird or a bee, flying over a swath of suburban lawn must be like trudging through a vast desert, no food or water in sight. While it is impossible to know the exact amount of water used on lawns on a daily basis across the entire country, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 30% of the average household’s water use is outdoors, and half of that is to water lawn. Medium-term target is to recycle or dispose all municipal solid waste in an environmentally friendly manner. I can understand that kind of thing, but in fact the grass need not be green to function in this manner. Personally I'd like to see more native plants and less grass. Covering yards across the United States in grass requires a lot of resources: Water – Many home irrigation systems are wasteful; they spray sidewalks or over water, leading to water running right off into the drain. Americans do love their lawns. Instead, pay attention to the ritual of things. Important conversations are happening now. It pumps fumes around. If you must have a green lawn lay an artificial lawn (it comes on rolls just like a carpet). Continuing mass testing in Wales could be a "massive-scale of waste of resources", a leading public health expert has said. Like on crops. In order to keep lawns green, lots of water is used. I’m for Trump and have a yard full of native wild flowers, Your email address will not be published. This means that there's a rational motivation to keep up the lawn ritual after all. GreenScaping encompasses a set of landscaping practices that can improve the health and appearance of your lawn and garden while protecting and preserving natural resources. DUBNER: Now talk about how America got into lawns and the degree to which they upped the game. In some states, a significant chunk of the landscape is covered in turf grass — meaning residential lawns, commercial lawns, golf courses, and the like. Why? NewsChannel 11 is taking a closer look into the arrest of a local lingerie store clerk. Published. But the WEIRD mentality has serious trouble recognizing this fact. ), and in turn is a materialistic extension of their tiny penises. Letting your faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours. Rather, they are playing the role of English lords. Second, acknowledge that if lawns go, something else will need to replace them that could play a similar role. 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