----- forwarded message ----- Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 11:26:00 -0700 From: radtimes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Lawn care methods causing heavy damage to environment
Lawn care methods causing heavy damage to environment http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040812/REPOSITORY/408120311/1013/NEWS03 Many seeking out eco-friendly options By JOAN LOWY Scripps Howard News Service August 12. 2004 It's hard to believe anything so green could be bad for the environment, but Americans' love affair with their lawns and gardens may be getting out of hand. From snowy New England to the desert Southwest, Americans have planted 30 million acres of grass lawn. Each weekend in the summertime, an estimated 54 million people mow their lawns, consuming 800 million gallons of gasoline a year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that gasoline-powered landscape equipment - mowers, trimmers, blowers and chainsaws - account for more than 5 percent of urban air pollution. As much as two-thirds of urban freshwater is used to water lawns in some cities. And Americans annually apply 70 million pounds of pesticides to home lawns, trees and shrubs every year, roughly 10 times more per acre than is used on farms. Nitrates and phosphates from lawn and garden fertilizers pollute the water table, leading to algal blooms that choke the oxygen from ponds and lakes. Even the ornamental trees and shrubs planted in yards and gardens are often a problem since they are as likely as not to be non-native species, displacing the native plants and trees that wildlife rely on for food and shelter. "Everybody likes a little patch of lawn, but I think it has really gotten out of control," said Paul Green of the National Audubon Society. "I look at those big lawns and the only living thing I find on them is robins. And if those lawns are under a regime of herbicides and pesticides, even the robins aren't going to find anything to eat," Green said. Indeed, bird poisonings in residential areas are referred to among wildlife biologists as "lawn care syndrome." There are signs, however, of a growing movement toward more eco-friendly lawn care and gardening. Suburbanites are packing organic-gardening classes and an increasing number of landscapers advertise themselves as specializing in organic landscaping and the use of native plant species. Communities throughout the arid West are adopting xeriscape regulations, which require or encourage homeowners to use drought-tolerant plants and alternatives to grass lawns. Some water utilities are offering rebates to customers who xeriscape. Societies dedicated to the preservation of native plant species are flourishing in every state and dozens of cities and counties. The societies urge homeowners to pull out non-native "invasive" plants and replace them with domestic species. Bill Duesing, executive coordinator of the Connecticut chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, said he was deluged with requests for information on organic landscaping and use of native species at a landscaping industry conference six months ago. "A lot of people who came up to me said they were interested in an organic program because their customers are asking for it," Duesing said. Even the nursery industry, which historically has not been much interested in organic landscaping, often incorporates recommendations now that are consistent with organic practices in their advice to consumers, Duesing said. Meanwhile, big-box home and garden centers have begun stocking a variety of organic pesticides with names like "Anti-Pest-O" that are made from garlic, pepper juice and other natural ingredients. The products tend to repel, rather than kill, insects. "The larger companies like Home Depot and Lowe's are now offering alternative pesticides. It used to be you could only find them at small garden stores or through mail-order catalogues or on Web sites," said Lori Ward of the National Wildlife Federation. "I definitely think there's a trend."
