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The American Lawn
By newsguy | October 13, 2008
Grass growing tall in that lovely shade of green. Freshly mowed to an even level. Watered daily to keep it in a healthy condition. Flowerbeds heavily laden with new mulch. The perfect little lawn, a status symbol repeated in millions of suburban yards. But could such a typical custom have a darker underside?
The answer is yes. All the care put into keeping such a manicured exterior is all at the expense of the environment.
For one, American lawns are planted with usually non-native grasses that reduce biodiversity. Also these foreign plants are not easily sustained in such a different atmosphere, so they require more attention and care, i.e. more resources wasted.
It is estimated that 32 million acres of American soil is taken up by the sweet suburban yard. That is 32 million acres to water with our most precious resource. A resource that is not only key to our survival but is also in increasingly short supply. If all the world water fit in a gallon only three tablespoons are freshwater and only one tablespoon can be accessed as of today.
In fact the wars of the coming century will no longer be about oil or territory, it will be water that sparks the conflict. So if you are willing to make the trade, a perfect lawn to day, for your children children’s thirst keep competing for Yard of the Month.
To get such perfect seeming results Americans employ a wide variety of harmful chemical agents. Pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and gasoline-powered lawnmowers all pollute the land, the water, and the humans that come into contact with it. If it kills off weeds and insects, chances are it’s not the best for humans either.
So if a status symbol is more important than a healthy environment that will continue to sustain our ever increasing population, than by all means take our weed killer and have your perfect picture. But if you understand the direr nature of these events, look into alternatives to this suburban killer.
Topics: What do you think? |
November 7th, 2008 at 12:38 am
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