The single most irrigated crop in the United States is (drum roll please) lawn. Yep, 40 million acres of lawn exist across the Land of Denial — and Americans collectively spend about $40 billion on seed, sod, and chemicals each year. And then there's all that water. Lawns in America require nearly 9 billion gallons of (usually drinking-quality) water
Another example of how almost every detail of this society is built on abusing nature so humans can do things in a way that bends life to our whims. I think it was Christopher Ryan in the book Civilized to Death that described this state of humanity as rapacious locust compared with indigenous people who act as normal grasshoppers, an apropos analogy if you ask me. It seems there is no end to what we won't consume or abuse while in locust mode.
Do you think we can lead by example? Creating a garden instead of lawn? Doing small things one person at a time?
Where I live there’s no HOA and residents do creative and wonderful things with their outdoor space. They can even get their local government to help them plan a tree of their choice on the sidewalks. (It’s a very affluent town so we’re not trashing our properties here.) Every house is interesting to look at. Gas leaf blowers are frowned upon.
Pawns with Lawns
Another example of how almost every detail of this society is built on abusing nature so humans can do things in a way that bends life to our whims. I think it was Christopher Ryan in the book Civilized to Death that described this state of humanity as rapacious locust compared with indigenous people who act as normal grasshoppers, an apropos analogy if you ask me. It seems there is no end to what we won't consume or abuse while in locust mode.
Do you think we can lead by example? Creating a garden instead of lawn? Doing small things one person at a time?
Where I live there’s no HOA and residents do creative and wonderful things with their outdoor space. They can even get their local government to help them plan a tree of their choice on the sidewalks. (It’s a very affluent town so we’re not trashing our properties here.) Every house is interesting to look at. Gas leaf blowers are frowned upon.