The Hidden Menace of the Front LawnZachary Scharman

What do you think is the most irrigated crop in the United States? Corn? Wheat? The truth is it’s grass (Earth Observatory). We spend enormous amounts of water trying to keep our giant front lawns looking lush and green and we rarely think about the environmental cost. Nasa’s Earth observatory estimates that there is about 3 times more irrigated grass in the United States than irrigated corn. It’s hard to even imagine the amount of wasted resources that takes to maintain. 7.9 billions of water are used

to irrigate these grasses every day, that’s about 3 trillion gallons a year (University of Delaware). We also waste huge amounts of time, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer.

You may be asking at this point why we even have front lawns. If they are this wasteful, why did we ever invent them? The truth is we didn’t. We stole this cultural invention from the English. In England the rich had huge sweeping lawns in front of their manor houses. The lawn was a mark of prosperity and power

and it demanded respect. Americans wanted that kind of respect. It’s only natural that they wanted to feel that kind of prosperity. So, we adopted the custom and it became widespread in the American Middle class during the industrial revolution, when it became more practical to have one because of technological improvements (The invention of the hose and the mechanical mower). The main problem is, it rains all the time in England. The English rarely had to water their lawns while Americans, especially those in drier climates like Utah, have to water their lawns quite often. This isn’t even mentioning the waste from herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer. Another problem

is that almost every single house in the United States has a lawn of some kind while a smaller percentage of the English population has front lawns (Usually the wealthier households).

However more environmentally friendly and more cost efficient alternatives to the front lawn do exist. One of the easiest of these to tend and maintain is the xeriscape (which literally translates to “dry landscape”). Xeriscapes

are arrangements, landscapes, or gardens made up of plants native to the area that require little tending and little or no supplemental watering. These plants are, for the most part, self-sufficient in terms of water. This is because these plants evolved in the climate they are currently in and adapted the location’s unique circumstances (such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, or amount of sunlight). They also don’t usually require pesticides (because these plant have also adapted to the native insect and animal life).

Another attractive alternative to the front lawn is a garden. A disadvantage to this alternative is that the garden has to be maintained and tended much more than a xeriscape or a regular lawn but if you are willing to make the required investment there are many rewards to be reaped. These are steadily becoming more popular for several reasons. Firstly having a garden in the front yard decreases the need for buying vegetables and fruits, thus reducing the need for gas (Which is used to transport the food to you) and increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet. A garden also allows you to compost any organic waste you have, which decreases how much you waste. Even

the White House has a garden. Hopefully setting this powerful example will have a very real effect on the rest of the country. “Regardless of how the world may change around us, we still have the power to make good choices about what we feed our families. And gardens across the country are playing a vital role in that process.” (Obama).

The truth is, lawns aren’t very good for the environment. It’s true that grass, like any other plant, converts CO2 to Oxygen but we harm the environment so much to produce this meager benefit. The emissions from the lawnmower, the pesticides and herbicides we use, and

the huge use of water greatly outweigh that small benefit. “Highly maintained lawns and trees sequester much less CO2 than more natural areas with little maintenance. With more lawn cover than tree canopy cover, the balance can actually shift to emitting CO2″ (University of Florida).

I hope that I have convinced you that there are practical alternatives to the usual front lawn that are much less wasteful in terms of water, the environment, and your own personal health. I am even hopeful that some of you might someday choose to forgo the traditional front lawn for a more practical alternative. At the very least I hope I’ve convinced you to think about it.

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Barton, Susan, and Rebecca Pineo. "Turf Grass Madness: Reasons to Reduce the Lawn in Your Landscape." Ag.udel.edu. University of Delaware, 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://ag.udel.edu/udbg/sl/vegetation/Turf_Grass_Madness.pdf>.

Earth Observatory. "Looking for Lawns : Feature Articles." Earthobservatory.nasa.gov. Earth Observatory, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Lawn/lawn2.php>.

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Kirpalani, Reshma. "Woman Faces Jail Time For Growing Vegetable Garden in Her Own Front Lawn." Abcnews.go.com. ABC News Network, 12 July 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/vegetable-garden-brings-criminal-charges-oak-park-michigan/story?id=14047214>.

Kurutz, Steven. "The Battlefront in the Front Yard." .nytimes.com. The New York Times, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/garden/gardeners-fight-with-neighbors-and-city-hall-over-their-lawns.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

Mesa, Az. "10 Reasons to Convert to Xeriscape." Mesaaz.gov. Mesa, Az, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.mesaaz.gov/conservation/convert.aspx>.

Mother Earth News. "The White House Garden Sets a Powerful Example." Motherearthnews.com. Mother Earth News, Apr.-May 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/white-house-garden-zm0z13amzmar.aspx#axzz2xvu0qXg2>.

Pollan, Michael. "Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns." Michaelpollan.com. Michael Pollan, 28 May 1989. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/why-mow-the-case-against-lawns/>.