Keep Off The Grass

Editorial / 2021

Lawns are compounding climate change and are an ecological disaster. Each year, North Americans use more than 800 million gallons of gasoline and 6 billion gallons of water for lawn maintenance. According to Environment Canada, almost 50 percent of residential water used in summer is for lawn care.

Lawns also have no biodiversity and provide no habitat for plant life and pollinators necessary for a healthy ecosystem. The National Pesticide Information Centre says that Canadians use 70 million pounds of pesticides per year. 

According to a study done by Dr. Chuanhui Gu at Appalachian State University, lawns are carbon sinks, which means the production of water, pesticides and gas for mowing all cause lawns to generate four times more greenhouse gases than they can store.

Having a lawn is not worth this damage to our Earth. 

Instead of watering your ever-dying grass, create an alternative lawn by planting native species such as big blue stem, golden rod, or milkweed. Not only are these plants drought resistant, they also thrive in Manitoba’s extreme climate. 

My name is Afton Berg and I’m asking you to rip up your lawn and invite nature back into your yard. 

*Feature image provided by Unsplash