Lawns consume more water than all our agricultural crops

To the editor,

"Blades of Glory" was a full-page article in The Week magazine's issue of July 1-8, 2011. It made these points:

— Lawns are a product of 17th and 18th century European aristocracy, who relied on servants, sheep, and goats as mowers.

— We love lawns; 80-percent of all American homes have lawns.

— Sacrifices of time, energy, money, and natural resources go into lawn maintenance.

— Lawns consume more water than agricultural crops.

— Environmental damage comes from fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, and fossil-fueled mowers that emit as much air pollution per hour as 11 cars.

— There has been backlash to this damage, to a small degree. Some communities are replacing turf with indigenous planting. Lawns are banned in Las Vegas.

— Turf grasses are usually introduced species, not native.

— Lawn care is a $40 billion/year industry in the United States.

— The future of the lawn is in peril.

— The federal government produces a "Noxious Weed List" because of our obsession with velvety green lawns. Our efforts have produced "superweeds" like cogon grass.

The article does not mention the industrial groaning of mowers that blankets small rural towns as suburban mentality spreads.

Golf courses are not mentioned.

Grass does not allow biodiversity, or give protection from the wind or shade. Grass does not provide us with food, but takes up space suited to agriculture.

But lawns provide jobs, and there's nothing like the smell of a freshly cut lawn.

Dick Devens

Center Sandwich