Green Means
Seeing that Grass Isn’t Green
By Shannon Scott
Get rid of the lawn. Grass isn’t green. Sustainable homes have landscaping that
harmonizes with regional climates and environments. We live in the desert, where lush green grass
is an affront to nature.
The Las Vegas Water Authority pays home owners
$1.50 for every square foot of lawn they take out. This policy has helped save more than 8
billion gallons of water per year. Removing
a 20 ft. square patch of lawn would yield a $600 check to establish a lovely
low-water use drip irrigated vegetable patch.
Nevada
regularly experiences critically low water availability. Two years ago, during
summer and fall months, if a major fire had broken out in Carson City and
neighboring communities, there simply would not have been enough water to fight
it. This winter, snow packs are nearly
non-existent. Another drought year, yet
neighborhood lawns will be lush and soggy green.
Due to the
worst drought in a hundred years, Texas and Oklahoma ranchers have sold
thousands of head of livestock.
America’s cattle herds are the smallest in 60 years. Small ranchers have gone out of
business. Large ones are moving north to
Nebraska – leaving the hard, parched Texas dirt behind. How long will Nebraska and neighboring
states be able to sustain increased herds?
Depletion is inevitable.
Since annual evaporation
rates are higher than the annual amount of rainfall, much of the west qualifies
as desert. The arid west cannot support vast numbers of livestock,
outdoor fountains, backyard ponds, high water use vegetation, and lawns. Yet many home owners have touch with
nature. Ignoring water rationing
schedules, watering during peak sun hours, and allowing water to run into
streets is common. We’ve all seen broken
sprinkler heads drenching sidewalks.
Wasting
water isn’t the only problem with lawns.
Toxic fertilizers
and herbicides used to keep grass green and prevent weed growth end up in
runoff, storm drains, and eventually streams and rivers.
Many
chemicals, used to green up lawns or prevent weeds attack the central nervous
system, cause skin rashes often erroneously considered “grass allergies”,
induce muscle pain, nausea, learning disabilities, and even death. Many problems occur without a single overt
symptom, such as kidney dysfunction and cancer.
Of course it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint direct causes of illnesses,
but when particular chemicals are known to cause catastrophic illnesses why use
them?
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes it a clear violation of federal law
for companies to label pesticide as “safe”, “harmless” or “non-toxic to humans
or pets”. Many of these chemicals last
months or years on backyard lawns. They
emit gases undetectable to humans, and remain on vegetation and topsoil. Watering and direct sun do not completely flush
them away or break them down.
So what are people planting instead
of grass? Many households across the
west are planting vegetable gardens and xeriscaping. Vegetable gardens with drip irrigation systems
use considerably less water and provide a healthy food source. Xeriscaping (the x is pronounced as a z) is a
form of landscaping that conserves water by grouping plants according to their
water needs. It also includes planting
native vegetation, using mulch to reduce evaporation rates, and planting
drought tolerant plants – all especially important in our western region.
Examine your planting areas. Group plants by their water needs and don’t
fight your site. Put highly drought
tolerant plants in areas that receive full sun.
Plants that demand more water ought to be close to a natural water
source, like roof run off, partially shaded, and mulched. Select low water use trees to create shade
that will reduce water needs for other plants and perhaps shade a home during
hot summer months.
Instead of using chemical
fertilizers, use organic matter such as manure, fish emulsion, or other organic
super chargers. Start composting. Keeping a compost pile reduces the amount of household
garbage that must be hauled away and is a naturally good way to improve
soil. Incorporating copious amounts
organic matter like compost, cow manure, and spagnum moss helps water
penetration and retention. Leaves and
bark strips or chips from wood cutting make good mulch.
Like other goods, prices rise depending
upon supply and demand. If water is in
short supply, and it is, expect to pay for it. Living greener ultimately means consuming
less.
Shannon Scott, LEED Green Associate, is a green home owner, self-taught designer, and builder. She and her husband live in northwestern
Nevada in a straw bale home they designed and built themselves. She teaches green building idea classes and
can be reached at: greenmeansnv@gmail.com
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