Observations, photos, thoughts, real estate info, etc,
Grass is Not "Green"
Posted 06-21-2008 at 09:52 AM by Smiling JOe
So this morning, I was watching a gardening show, and they were suggesting ways to go green. Most sounded intelligent, but one caught my mind. The suggestion was to use electric (plug-in) yard equipment, -ie- lawnmower and weedeater. 
They were suggesting that these electric-powered tools do not put off carbon emissions, which may or may not be true. If the electricity fuel source is nuclear power, that may be true, but if the electric power's fuel source is by burning coal, which is true for most of the USA's electricity, wouldn't using plug-in lawnmowers in reality, produce more carbon than the gasoline burning lawnmower and weedwhackers? Wouldn't "green" be more along the lines of not growing grass? Ironic, I know, but considering that 40% of our clean water is used to make lawns green, growing grass lawns, which need labor, water, and mowing, seems to be anything but "green."
They were suggesting that these electric-powered tools do not put off carbon emissions, which may or may not be true. If the electricity fuel source is nuclear power, that may be true, but if the electric power's fuel source is by burning coal, which is true for most of the USA's electricity, wouldn't using plug-in lawnmowers in reality, produce more carbon than the gasoline burning lawnmower and weedwhackers? Wouldn't "green" be more along the lines of not growing grass? Ironic, I know, but considering that 40% of our clean water is used to make lawns green, growing grass lawns, which need labor, water, and mowing, seems to be anything but "green."
Total Comments 9
Comments
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I say plant a garden where your grass is! Just so no to grass!Posted 06-22-2008 at 10:52 AM by Bobby J
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I agree. In the past, my "flower" beds have been edible beds of vegetables and herbs. If I cannot mow it with my sling blade, I don't cut it. I find that I have rabbits and deer foraging on the Sand Blackberries and Dew Berries, and the thickets give protection to the smaller animals around the yard.Posted 06-22-2008 at 10:08 PM by Smiling JOe
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Plant lots of corn!!!!!!Posted 06-23-2008 at 09:06 PM by seagrovegirl
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By planting the same area in Hemp, I bet you could make for fuel, and you could use it for making paper, rope, and fabric, and it looks pretty, and requires very little water, and won't strip the nutrients from the soil, unlike corn.Posted 06-23-2008 at 11:10 PM by Smiling JOe
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A xeriscaped lawn is more beautiful than grass, less work to maintain, and better for the planet. I don't get why people still do grass. Maybe if you have kids, and need a little patch for a play space I can get it, but otherwise grass is just a chore with no redeeming qualities.
I miss the low-guilt hydropower from Georgia Power.Posted 06-25-2008 at 08:37 AM by rapunzel
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kids like dirt, not grass. lol.
That low-guilt hydropower needs water to make it work, but unfortunately, most people water their yards with it, so the power may be at risk in the future, unless we change our ways.Posted 06-25-2008 at 09:54 AM by Smiling JOe
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You make a great point...
That water needs to pass through the turbines and flow on down to my oysters.
Could someone let Atlanta know it's big enough now?Posted 06-25-2008 at 10:22 AM by rapunzel
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Smiling Joe, you are so right. My husband has been building "workforce" housing through his non-profit here in St. Augustine for several years and he has won state and regional awards for only using native plants, rather than sod. For those of you who don't know about workforce housing-it's housing for us regular folk; teachers (and support staff), nurses, firefighters, police officers, etc., since few can afford the average home price of over $300,000 in this area of Florida. The slow market is changing that now, but the prices are still too high for most. We have to save our water resources, the aquifer, and stop the nitrogen run-off which blesses our coastal areas with the lovely algae blooms each year.Posted 06-26-2008 at 01:29 PM by Auggie Gal
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brown is the new green!Posted 07-20-2008 at 10:00 PM by tistheseason
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