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Mats
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Joined: 14 Oct 2004
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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 Posted: Thu 17 Jul, 2008 10:43 am Post subject: Lawn Addiction |
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Some years ago when I worked as an urban planner I conducted a small and ineffective campaign against the ubiquitous use of lawns in all landscaping schemes. It was ineffective because mowed lawns were considered essential by almost every property owner, whether industrial or residential. The amount of labour, land, water and chemicals devoted to lawns in North America is astronomical (around $40 billion!).
David Quammen has written "Turf Wars" in an attempt to stem the madness. Here is a summary from the New Yorker: newyorker.com: Turf War by Elizabeth Kolbert
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David
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| Posted: Thu 17 Jul, 2008 11:53 am Post subject: |
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| I imagine that the lawn culture, like any culture, would take a huge amount of time and effort to change. Probably an entire generation. The lawn culture is just a firmly entrenched in the British psyche too. I have noticed that this is not the case in the drier climates of southern Europe except for those who want to make a point of displaying the fact that their wealth allows such extravagances. We are a weird species aren't we? In most of the "western world" we consider it normal for half the population to remove the body hair which is part of being human. Anyone not doing so is seen as a deviant. It's almost as bad for men who chose not to shave their faces. Oops, I've gone completely of topic. Sometimes my mind wanders, and sometimes it doesn't come back for days. |
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Lawless in Lotusland
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| Posted: Thu 17 Jul, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| David wrote: | | The lawn culture is just a firmly entrenched ... In most of the "western world" we consider it normal for half the population to remove the body hair which is part of being human. |
Don't know what to do about lawn culture except plant trees and bushes. Regarding hair culture, it's not just in Western culture that people remove body hair -- and not just women, either! Hair dying is also not confined to Western women. People all over the world find ways to adorn, adjust, manipulate the way we were made in the name of beauty or fashion.
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ejm
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| Posted: Fri 18 Jul, 2008 4:09 am Post subject: |
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| David wrote: | | I imagine that the lawn culture, like any culture, would take a huge amount of time and effort to change. Probably an entire generation. |
As I walk down our street, I see more and more front gardens that have been changed from being expanses of grass (if you can call these postage stamp size spaces 'expanses') to ones of various ground covers that require little maintenance. A few have switched to being vegetable gardens.
As people are having to pay higher and higher amounts for their water consumption and fuel, I'm wondering if the lawn culture will take less time than a generation to change. In order to stay green throughout the summer, grass takes a LOT of watering. And then there's the cutting... I'm constantly amazed at how many people who insist on using power mowers in our neighbourhood to cut their grass!
| David wrote: | | We are a weird species aren't we? In most of the "western world" we consider it normal for half the population to remove the body hair which is part of being human. |
And what about tattoos and piercings? When I was growing up, it was quite uncommon to see tattoos on anyone but carnival workers. And only women and a few girls had their ears pierced. Now just about everyone under 30 appears to have at least one tattoo; many people have several. And I'm reeling at the number of eyebrow, lip, tongue piercings I now see. (Happily, I can remain ignorant about the other piercings...)
All of which reminds me of the time that I had my ears pierced (about 15 years ago). We went into a piercing store on Queen Street (trendy neighbourhood) and enquired. As we looked at the various choices in "earrings", the eyebrow, nose, tongue pierced proprietor said, "We don't pierce ears." 
| David wrote: | | Sometimes my mind wanders, and sometimes it doesn't come back for days. |
Your mind comes back? Showoff!! (What's your secret?) 
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CAM
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| Posted: Sat 19 Jul, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| ejm wrote: | | And what about tattoos and piercings? . |
I met a guy at a conference once in the US. Got talking to him. He was from somewhere in Africa and lived and worked in a pretty small community -- he was in the US just for the conference. Very neat guy. We got talking about teen fashions and I talked about some parents' concern about body peircings and tattoos in North America. He sympathized and mentioned the big battle he was having with his teenaged daughters who wanted to have their teeth filed into fashionable points. All the girls were doing it in their home village!
I was on his side and said I hoped he won the battle!
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Mats
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Lawless in Lotusland
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| Posted: Sat 26 Jul, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| ejm wrote: | | As I walk down our street, I see more and more front gardens that have been changed from being expanses of grass ... to ones of various ground covers that require little maintenance. A few have switched to being vegetable gardens. |
How about cultivating "The Healing Weeds in Your Yard" -- see article: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-healing-weeds-in-your-yard.html
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