Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Grass lawns are NOT environmentally responsible

I just saw the greatest youTube video of all time!

Well, ok.  It wasn't the greatest... the man in the video spoke way too fast, and there weren't any cute kittens or pretty unicorns jumping across the screen.  But aside from that, it really was amazing.

It was about the maniacal idea of grass lawns.  Lawns that most of us all have.... including me.

Grass lawns, by the way, are not environmentally responsible.

As a matter of fact, they're about the most environmentally irresponsible thing we can do.

While I stopped using chemicals on my lawn when I lived in the desert southwest, I still used a ton of water.  I mean... it was a desert.  That's the last place that a person should use grass!

So what happened after I moved away?  No water was used on my grass, so when I went back after a few months...


Totally brown.  Completely dry.

Now, I could have decided to be upset about this.  I mean, this isn't exactly great when you're planning to sell your home.

It really doesn't upset me, though.

Why?

Because I think about how much water I haven't wasted.  I think about how the next person that owns my home now has the opportunity to rip up the grass, guilt free, and do something environmentally responsible, instead.

Like one of my neighbors on the cul de sac.

She ripped up her grass and placed artificial turf in its place.  She still has the manicured beauty of a grass lawn, but without the need to water or mow it.

How awesome is that?!  I've mentioned that my neighbors were awesome beyond belief, but I don't think I've ever mentioned how environmentally responsible this one is!

So, I mentioned a video to you in the beginning, and I'm sure you're curious about it.  I know I would be!  Here it is, in all its glory:



It was made in 2011.  I can't believe it took me that long to have heard of it.  Shame on me!

I'll talk about ways to be more environmentally responsible with your yard in the future, but in the meantime I ask that you think about what can be done in your area to reduce your yard's impact on our water supply.  For me, it's easy.

I live in Minnesota.  There's enough rain here that even though I get brown patches all over the place in the summer, the grass grows back.  I don't have to worry about watering... although there are other people in the area that think otherwise and water their lawns... in the middle of the afternoon... in full sun.

Gasp!

2 comments:

  1. In areas where there is shortage in water supply, it is recommended to use artificial grass instead of natural grass. This way, you will not be wasting precious water for your grass plants. Artificial grass are genuine like grass. With it, you will enjoy having a green lawn without the costly maintenance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're absolutely correct. Indeed, I'd go so far as to say that even in areas that *do* have ample water supply, artificial grass (or some form of xeriscaping)is in a person's best interest. During the Midwestern drought, water usage went up not only on farms, but in neighborhoods as well, as people tried to keep their lawns green. It's really a waste of water.

    ReplyDelete