Grass lawns: iconically American and environmentally disastrous
By Erkki Forster, Opinion Editor
When I first moved to Santa Monica from Switzerland in the fall of 2016, I was mesmerized by the green, neatly manicured lawns which hugged the sidewalk from both sides. America looked exactly like what I had seen in the movies. But as much as I had adored these iconic American lawns during my early days in the U.S., it soon became clear to me that lawns are not as idyllic and innocent as they appear. Traditional grass lawns need water, and in places like Los Angeles or Las Vegas, cities that sit in the middle of deserts, the consumption is extreme. Moreover, lawns destroy the natural landscape of the region, in turn endangering species like bees and other pollinators who are already facing extinction. As iconic and charming lawns are, they have to go.
In the 1950s, as families moved out of cities in the post-war economic climate, they settled in newly created suburbs, which often included lawns in front of the houses, mimicking upper class style gardens. The widespread idea of conformity of the 1950s certainly increased the popularity of the green, well-kept patches of grass that completed American homes. Eventually, the image of owning a house with a front lawn became embedded in the American dream, and the spread of lawns has not ceased since.
“[The type of grass used for lawns is] the most grown crop in the United States--and it’s not one that anyone can eat; its primary purpose is to make us look and feel good about ourselves,” Anthropologist Krystal D’Costa said in the “Scientific American”.
These lawns are estimated by the EPA to consume roughly a third of all public water in the U.S., and about fifty percent is wasted due to inefficient irrigation. California, specifically, has lost much of its water reserves in the last century, and the state is projected to lose more as the climate crisis makes rain and snowpacked mountains less frequent. So, why are we pouring billions of gallons of freshwater into lawns, when, year after year, we suffer from droughts and consequent wildfires? When we face the very real prospects of not having enough direct drinking water in the near future?
There is yet another downside to lawns. When city development and lawns skyrocketed in the mid 20th century, thousands of miles of previously untouched land was destroyed. In California, the natural environment of species, such as mountain lions or hawks, disappeared overnight. As lawns replaced native flowers and bushes, bees were hit especially hard. According to “Ohio State Insights” bee populations in the U.S. are declining rapidly, with honeybee colony losses averaging 30 percent each winter, instead of the natural 10 to 15 percent. The practice of keeping lawns “neat” by mowing, as well as the application of pesticides, prevents plant diversity and flowering plants from blooming. Fertilizers, which are often improperly used on the grass, make their way down into the ocean and rivers, prompting algal blooms (algae growth) in the waters we swim in. These are destructive to ecosystems, and potentially toxic to humans. As flower scarce lawns contribute to the decline of bee populations, we are as affected as the bees themselves, for these pollinators are an essential part of agriculture.
“With the declining number of bees, the costs of over 130 fruit and vegetable crops that we rely on for food is going up in price,” beekeeper Noah Wilson-Rich said in a 2012 Ted Talk.
According to “TIME”, 700 bee species are facing extinction, and as scary as they may bee, I would not want to live in a world without them. However, the negative trend can be reversed; urban beekeeping has become popular in recent years, and some bee populations are flourishing. We can help these urban bees out, as bee scholar Marla Spivak explained in her Ted Talk.
“Go online and search for flowers that are native to your area and plant them. Plant them in a pot on your doorstep. Plant them in your front yard, in your lawns, in your boulevards,” Spivak said.
A long time ago, lawns were a way to beautify the streets, a way to differentiate the green, safe suburbs from the dark cities. They fed into the image of a manicured suburban life, the idea of an American dream. Today, however, we are at a point in time where we have realized that many of our practices invented in the last century destroy the environment; we don’t know if the next generation will see lush green hills or scorched earth, blue lakes or dried out reservoirs. The subject of lawns may seem small, but all lawns in the U.S. put together make up a land area the size of Texas. They are one of the few factors each and every one of us can control in the effort to save the environment. Homeowners can plant native plant species, thereby conserving water as those plants tend to be better adjusted to the region’s climate. Students can lobby for schools and other facilities to switch from traditional grass lawns to better, more environmentally friendly alternatives. As freshwater resources deplete, forests burn and global temperatures rise, we must do everything in our power to combat this environmental crisis. Having a conversation about lawns is an easy first step.