"Problems Associated with Traditional Landscaping Grass There are 50 million acres (twice the size of Pennsylvania) in turf grass in the United States (U.S.); about half of this is residential. (U.S. News and World Report, 10/28/96) The average suburban lawn is deluged with ten times as much chemical pesticides per acre as farmland. (Yale Graduate Study) Each year we spend 25 billion dollars on lawn care. (Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) It costs an average of $700 per acre per year to maintain a lawn; a wildflower meadow costs $30/acre. (EPA) More than 80 million pounds of chemical pesticides are applied to lawns and gardens in the U.S. each year. (EPA) More than 70 million tons of fertilizers are applied to residential lawns and gardens annually. (EPA) In 1999, Americans spent $1,984,000,000 on home and garden pesticides. (EPA) 58 million households in the U.S. apply insecticides to their lawn every year, which is 53 percent of all U.S. households. (EPA) An average acre of lawn receives five to seven pounds of pesticides a year. (Watershed Protection Techniques (2(1):247-253) Wildlife Where pesticides are regularly applied, 60 to 90 percent of earthworms are killed. Earthworms are invaluable for soil health. (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) 60-70 million birds are poisoned each year in the U.S. due to pesticide use. (EPA) While less than ten percent of all insects are harmful to plants, most pesticides are harmful or lethal to all insects. (EPA) Water 30 percent of water consumed on the East Coast goes to watering lawns; 60 percent on the West Coast. (Redesigning the American Lawn) A 1000 square foot lawn requires 10,000 gallons of water per summer to maintain a "green" look. (U.S. News and World Report, 10/28/96) Detectable levels of pesticides are found in more than ten percent of drinking water wells. (National Wildlife Federation (NWF)) In the Mississippi watershed, a study found that 44 percent of nitrogen and 28 percent of phosphorous applied ends up washed into the Mississippi River, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico, causing significant environmental problems. (NWF) 40-60 percent of nitrogen applied to lawns ends up in surface or groundwater sources. (EPA) Waste Nearly one-fifth of all municipal solid waste collected is organic matter that could be composted on site. (EPA) Leaves, grass clippings and other yard debris clog landfills, taking up 20-40 percent of landfill space. (EPA) A 40 x 100 foot lawn produces 1,200 pounds of clippings per year; in Philadelphia, this costs $75 to collect and dispose. (Philadelphia Streets Department) Equipment A typical four-stroke lawnmower spends 40 hour per year - the equivalent of a one-week vacation - mowing the lawn. (EPA) In summer, five percent of hydrocarbon emissions in urban areas can be attributed to lawn and garden equipment. (National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Lab, Ann Arbor) A lawn mower emits as much hydrocarbon in one hour as a typical auto driven 50 miles. One hour of chain saw operation equates to the emissions of an auto driven 200 miles. (National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Lab, Ann Arbor) Per hour of operation, a lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical auto; a string trimmer emits 21 times more and a leaf blower 34 times more. (NWF) Lawn mowers use 580 million gallons of gas each year. (EPA) Invasive Plants Harmful invasive plants out-compete native plants, reducing biodiversity and habitat value. For example, kudzu now covers more than seven million acres in the U.S., mostly in the Southeast. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 60 percent of the invasive plants were originally introduced as ornamentals for home gardens. (New England Wild Flower Society website, 2003) Health 50 to 75 percent of homeowners store pesticides in unlocked areas within reach of children, and 50 percent do not read the warning labels before pesticide use. Of the most commonly used lawn pesticides, 13 can cause cancer, 14 can cause birth defects, 11 can interfere with reproduction and 21 can damage the nervous system. (EPA) 111,000 Americans are sickened each year due to pesticide exposure. Worldwide three million people are sickened each year. (EPA) Over 230,000 people are treated in the ER each year from accidents related to lawn equipment. (EPA)" nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/problems.cfm
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 02:17:03 +0000
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