Ditch the Sprinkler: Why Are Grass Lawns Bad for the Environment?
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Have you considered maybe grass lawns are bad for the environment? It might be hard to wrap your mind around, especially if you see little flowers and bugs flying around it. What could be so wrong? The classic, American, clean-cut lawn has a deceptively shady history and impact on the planet. Discover why the nation became obsessed with having perfect grass and what we can do about them as environmentalists.
The History of Grass Lawns
Hundreds of years ago, the wealthy and upper-class began purchasing large amounts of land. They were often around castles and villas. This flat expanse provided visibility for these families and their employees to see oncoming threats.
Only richer families could take care of this land, which was predominantly used for nothing, because they would exploit workers. It was also a way to flaunt status, because they didn’t need the land to grow food, which most families during these times would have used for that purpose. The only activities they may use them for would be lawn bowling, golf, and similar sports.
This was before lawn mowers existed, so it was intense, difficult work. Eventually, many lawns and similar plots became prime grazing lands for ranching animals. Grass lawns typically comprise a non-native plant, like Kentucky bluegrass, which actually came from Europe specifically for grazing animals. The grass’ ability to reproduce quickly was fine in Europe, where cows and the like were eating on it constantly. However, this doesn’t function the same in regular lawns.
The Industrial Revolution comes along and brings people the first lawn mowers. It also encouraged rapid suburban development to facilitate returning veterans and booming industry workers. The expansion of green grass lawns continued and persisted until the modern age. Now, you can’t imagine a neighborhood without a cut lawn for every house.
Why Are Grass Lawns Bad for the Environment?
Grass lawns are bad for the environment because of how many resources they consume and deplete from the planet. While this could be justified if they served a purpose, most lawns are purely an aesthetic choice. As hinted in many expert analyses of grass lawns, they are also a toxic symbol of wealth and status, depending on how pristine they are.
In summation, lawns use tons of water, discourage biodiversity, deepen eco-social injustice, and encourage pesticide use. Let’s dive a little deeper. Here are some startling statistics about how these billions of blades take a toll on the planet, especially in suburban America.
Water Use and Pollution
Landscape irrigation is responsible for consuming nine billion gallons of water daily, and most of this goes into perfecting their lawns. For water that isn’t even producing crops, this is a monumental waste and dismissal of the numerous regions of the world facing water scarcity.
Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) is one of the most popular and widespread pesticides in the U.S. It kept lawns pristine, but killed several species, notably birds, in the process. Eventually, this became banned, but many other harmful pesticides and chemicals are still permitted to use on lawns today. It still harms biodiversity, creates nutrient deficiencies in soil, and seeps into water systems.
Racial Disparities
Historically, grass lawns were a part of suburban HOAs or expensive neighborhoods. These were designed to keep low-income families out, so these organizations could curate who lives where.
This disproportionately affects people of color and impacts home ownership through racial injustice. Equality is a part of environmentalism, so this historical implication is essential to consider. The earliest example of this is Levittown, New York, which is often coined the first suburb in the States.
Carbon Sequestration
Trees and other wildlife are the biggest sources of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere apart from the ocean. Grass lawns do not have the same potential for capturing carbon as other species. All this space that could have carbon sinks does not.
Loss of Species and Habitats
Healthy weeds invite bugs to flourish. These feed other species so they can stay healthy. Those often spread seeds and nutrients around so the ecosystem remains in balance. Tearing down habitats directly dismisses wildlife and threatens a diverse world.
Global Warming
Wild, green meadows and prairies are cooler than grass lawns because they are better equipped to capture and use heat productively. Therefore, grass lawns are contributing to big-picture global warming by making neighborhoods like smaller urban heat islands.
How to Make Your Lawn More Eco-Friendly
Here are several ideas on how to make your lawn a better model for the future.
Rewild Your Lawn
Here are a few steps on how to invite native species to live on your lawn:
- Stop mowing your lawn aggressively.
- Tear up invasive and non-native species.
- Learn what species are native and how to identify them.
- Reference certifications like Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Use Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is drought-resistant landscaping, which means it requires less water than traditional lawns. Going this route saves tons of resources and could encourage a few species to come back and hang out on the different fixtures common to xeriscaped yards, like stone gardens.
Grow Food
Most people use their backyards to have small garden beds. Why not put them in your front yard too? If people see it, it might inspire them to do the same. It might look different from everyone else, but this should be celebrated.
Analyze the Soil and Species
Get soil tests and identify the species in your yard right now. You’ll be able to find out what the soil needs to be healthy again and what needs uprooted and tossed immediately. This will allow you to plant native weeds and flowers again without invasive varieties outcompeting.
Use Your Parks
Most people justify their front yards because they are places for the kids to play or pets to use the bathroom. It might serve other purposes, like if you’re a frequent garage saler. However, you can’t use these reasons to justify the damage lawns have caused. Instead, go to local parks to do these activities. These are shared spaces that are dying because people aren’t using them. Get back into the habit, because these areas are designed specifically to be tread on.
Greener Pastures
Now you know why grass lawns are bad for the environment. It’s possible to transform this ugly stereotype into something more nourishing for the planet. Invite pollinators back. Embrace native species. Become the environmental steward we were all meant to be. All it takes is going back to basics and using lawns for what they were meant for — supporting wildlife, growing food, and encouraging biodiversity around the world.
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About the author
Maria Visser
Maria serves as the Assistant Editor of Environment.co. A true foodie and activist at heart, she loves covering topics ranging from veganism to off grid living.