Importance Of Grass Lawns

Do We Really Need Grass Lawns?

During the 17th century in England the introduction of short, grass lawns among wealthy landowners began. As wealthy immigrants came to America, they brought grass seeds with them to have their manicured grass lawns here. Manicured lawns soon became a symbol of wealth. By the 1950’s, owning a home with a green, grass lawn was not just for the wealthy, it became a symbol of The American Dream that the middle class strove towards. Today, a grass lawn is not only the norm, but many cities and towns throughout the country have even imposed regulations such as demands to keep lawns at a short height or face fines. As a matter of fact, a research group with NASA, lead by Cristina Milesi, estimates that there are at least 40 million acres of grass lawns in America being maintained. With this in mind, one must consider the environmental impact of the grass lawns. Not to mention, the environmental

Keep in mind, the average lawn is mowed at least once a week. Consequently, not only is gas wasted using the mower, but the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 1 hour of mowing emits more than 11 times more pollution than driving a car for 1 hour. As a result, one has to expend much effort keeping the lawn green and weed free. An additional contributor to pollution is from all the various fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used to achieve the appearance of a lush, green lawn. The use of such chemicals is probably the most dangerous concern for both the environment and our personal health. Even if one does not personally use such chemicals on his/her property, he/she may discover such chemicals have “traveled” to his/her property. Wind and water runoff are the two main vehicles of transport for these chemicals. Simply put, if your neighbor sprays his lawn each week with an herbicide, you will have some level of herbicides on your property