Stop Watering Your Lawn
I, too, have a dream. My dream is that one day people will stop being so wasteful.
One of the things that irks me so much is how much water is used on American lawns and gardens. If Americans (and I assume citizens of other countries too) were to only use native plants, then people would not be required to water their lawns at least twice a week.
Irrigation is one of the biggest utilization of water that can be easily reduced. In fact, using only plants that are local to the region means that people would only have to water plants during unusual drought conditions. Many regions throughout the United States are currently suffering through droughts too. If these regions did not have a huge number of extensive yards and gardens that need constant watering, then these droughts would not be so severe.
Additionally, using local plants would be good for the local wildlife too, since natural habitats are shrinking everywhere. Native plants are easier to take care of. Furthermore, using less water means less pollution is created when treating and purifying a smaller amount of water. Lastly, using less water means spending less money too.
The only negative part of this suggestion is that native plants are typically not as attractive as lush lawns and gardens.
Too bad this is only a dream.
by Phil for Humanity
on 03/20/2008