The Lawn

They're a strange phenomena, lawns. They are "natural" in the sense that they grow outdoors in the soil and are essentially just a sprawl of one species of plant, but on the other hand you wouldn't call any old wild field of grass a lawn. There's a human-element that qualifies lawns as such, a shepherd-like caretaking that requires sometimes back-breaking labour and constant watchfulness. Because it's all about length. Too short and you've got yourself a thin patch of hair on a balding brown head. Too long and you've traded your lawn for a pasture. It's this fragile balance that keeps us exhaustively toiling our little Edens-- growing, cutting, growing, spraying, cutting-- until the day finally comes that we get to rest beneath them (happy intro, eh?).

So why do we do it? Why put yourself through all the pain and the extra responsibility, not to mention the terrible bank-breaking effects some lawns cause? Well, like most things in human society, I think most of it has to do with money and power. The bigger the lawn, the greener, the better it is maintained, the classier you are. I'm sure most of us lawn-carers don't consciously think of it that way when we're chopping to our hearts' delight on a big green John Deere, but to some extent, a large, well-pruned lawn is like a big banner with dollar signs all over it. Little green blades of money-coloured class. It shouts: "Hey you, street rat! I've got a lot of land and a lot of money and I can make my land look amazing because I have lots of money and land! Take that!"

The problem is, lawns are evil. No, just kidding. Lawns are great. Most people don't realize that lawns in themselves are quite helpful to us. Lawns absorb water, which helps reduce storm runoff and improve water quality. They also have a significant cooling effect, provide oxygen for us, trap dust and dirt, promote healthful micro-organisms, prevent erosion and filter rainwater contaminants. I have a lawn. A HUGE lawn now actually, having moved into my late grandfather's old farmhouse. So recently I've come to know the upkeep required to keep a big area of grass healthy and pristine, which is why I targeted it for enviro-analysis in the first place.

So why are lawns a problem, you might ask. (Just get off lawns' backs already, lawn-Nazi!) Well, once again, we're to blame. We don't maintain them in an eco-friendly way. Just look at the following statistics which were taken from the U.S. National Wildlife Federation (I assume Canadian statistics would be quite similar).

• 30% of water used on the East Coast goes to watering lawns; 60% on the West Coast.


• 18% of municipal solid waste is composed of yard waste.


• The average suburban lawn received 10 times as much chemical pesticide per acre as farmland.


• Over 70 million tons of fertilizers and pesticides are applied to residential lawns and gardens annually.


• Per hour of operation, a gas lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical automobile. A weedeater emits 21 times more and a leaf blower 34 times more.
  
• Where pesticides are used, 60 - 90% of earthworms are killed. Earthworms are important for soil health.
  

Shocking, I know. So what can we do about it? Well, I've been scouring the internet for helpful information on how to get the most out of your lawn without damaging the earth with harmful chemicals. Here are two that I found very straight-forward and effective:

1) Read Your "Weeds"- A Simple Guide to Creating a Healthy Lawn

2) 8 Steps to a Toxic-Free Lawn

Now as far as the lawnmower emissions, that seems to be a problem still for those of us with larger lawns. Small-lawned folk can do well with a corded/cordless electric mower or a push-reel motor, but unfortunately the riding lawnmower is still a necessity for the rest of us. However, if you happen to have $4000.00 to spend, you can buy this eco-friendly robot (yes, robot) lawnmower to do all your cutting for you! It's solar-powered and mows up to 20,000 sq. ft.! But, if you're like me and can't even comprehend $4000.00, then you might just have compromise the robot for the rider.