Why is landscaping bad for the environment?

Similarly, rainwater runoff from turf can carry pesticides and fertilizers to rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans through the sewer system. This can poison fish and other aquatic animals and harm humans who swim, surf and eat shellfish that may be contaminated. And then, of course, lawnmowers can pollute the air. Grass is so omnipresent that Lerman says the U.S.

UU. It claims approximately 163,800 square kilometers of turf space across the country, including parks and golf courses. That's basically the combined landmass of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. But growing your own tiny plot of grass has a number of ecological and environmental consequences.

Unsustainable risks range from the depletion of water aquifers to the devastation of local ecosystems. A perfect lawn can also contribute to increased carbon dioxide emissions. You might have guessed that, considering the amount of resources people pour onto their lawns to keep them green, they're actually not so green in practice. To keep the grass green, a lot of water is used.

Many lawn owners also use harmful pesticides and herbicides on their lawn. These toxins can end up in our waterways and in our food. In addition, lawn maintenance releases greenhouse gases, such as the fuel needed for lawnmowers. A beautiful, lush green landscape is often accompanied by the use of chemicals and gas-powered equipment.

While it can be done responsibly by using propane-powered lawnmowers that release 50% less greenhouse gas emissions, as we do at Bluegrass, and using only the amount of fertilizer or prevention needed, more and more people are turning to sustainable landscaping to reduce their impact on the environment. Sustainable landscaping uses techniques that do not have a negative effect on the environment. It's a more natural approach to landscaping. By analyzing the demands of the individual environment, Sustainable Landscaping offers solutions without using aggressive or synthetic chemicals or heavy gas-powered equipment.

Sustainable landscaping can have different areas of focus depending on the climate. For example, desert or drought-prone climates can focus on water conservation by planting water-resistant plants and collecting water runoff for irrigation. These trends are great news for anyone concerned about the long-term effects of landscaping on the environment. DC's RiverSmart program includes “bay gardens” or landscaping that replaces grass with plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

While planning a landscape using only native plants will not completely eliminate the need for fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, it can greatly reduce it. Sustainable landscaping conserves natural resources, reduces air and soil pollution, and reduces negative impact on the environment. While landscaping can adversely affect the environment by replacing natural ecosystems and displacing wildlife, there are responsible ways to alter the land around us. However, there is controversy over the economic impact on small garden businesses and low-income residents, as they may not be able to afford the higher cost of electrical equipment.

While sustainable landscaping certainly has its benefits, it also has its drawbacks, especially when creating and maintaining a well-groomed looking commercial property. Power lawn tools are becoming increasingly popular among professional landscapers and homeowners. Not only is pest management an integral part of this maintenance, but how pests are managed affects the appearance, quality and environmental conditions of a landscape. Xeriscaping is a landscape style that uses drought-tolerant plant species to reduce the need for irrigation.

Milesi explains: “A lawn isn't a big problem in the northeast, but when you recreate that same landscape in the west, it becomes a major ecological problem because the only way to cultivate those grasses is with a high use of water and nitrogen fertilizers. In areas with a lot of drought, fines and other penalties are imposed on people who violate watering schedules and irrigate their lawns in due time. There, they have faced some criticism for the appearance of the grass, but these landscapes require much less cutting and water than typical grass. .

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