What Is The Largest Irrigated Crop In The US?

[Rebecca]

The answer might surprise you:
grass


While the wealthy pour clean, fresh water on their lawns, approximately 4,500 children die every day from the consequences of unsafe water and inadequate hygiene, and more than 1 billion people still have no clean water to drink according to WHO’s 2005 figures.

Here are some interesting facts about our biggest waste of drinkable water, the kind of water that people all over the world are dieing for:

The EPA estimates that the total amount of residential lawn in the United States ranges around 40 million acres, making turf grass the nation’s biggest irrigated crop.

Americans pour as much as 238 gallons of water per person, per day onto lawns during the growing season.

The U.S. lawn industry is a $70 billion annual business.
And how does that contribute to pollution? Well, aside from all the pesticides and herbicides that poison everything they touch:

America’s 50 million or so lawnmowers burn through 800 million gallons of gas every year.

Source: United States EPA

[Emett]

Well done, many people can make a few easy changes to help the environment with info like this! Thanks so much. Go Go Gadget Rain Barrel!

[Ron Dean 09]

Greetings . This is a great insight . A thought on how to help save the world , right in
our front yard . Some of us older types , spend a lot of time and pride , nurturing a
lush lawn , sorta as a symbol , and display , that frame our family home .

We can grow into our 21st century , us suburbian's , and look more to the whole world
as a front yard . Could this be a good photo op ? To show our drier thirstier neighbor's
that us everyday citizens out there , ( the wealthier ones ) , share the same yard .

Bicycle's and garden hose's , we adapt to meet our modern challenges , in a global way .
It's all our family home . Communicate and share . Going going Gadget World Wide Web.

[Emett]

I just read, in Men's Health of all places, Link to the Article "Your Lethal Lawn by Brian Smith" that clover and moss are good! Together the grass, clover, and moss don't leave any space or water for the weeds! Plus more food and space for the bees and bugs, (mow the clover flowers if you don't want bees) which will bring the birds and life! No poisons or fertilizers either, the clover is a Nitrogen fixer...

And here's a link to the Oregonian's Green Blog about mowing grass with electric or push mowers! I left them a comment on there, too.

Gadget Web is right! thanks Ron, and thanks again Rebecca!

[Rebecca]

thanks for the links!! Speaking of lethal lawns, my sister lives next door to someone who liberally sprays pesticides and herbicides and my poor sister has lost five pets to cancer...3 cats, 2 dogs. Seems like a high ratio to me.
We're buying a house (finally) and I plan on having very little lawn but lots of herbs, gardens, fruit tree, and chickens. Wonder if I can have a goat to mow the lawn and poop fertilizer...hmmm.
Maybe I'll just have mint instead of grass. Can you imagine? I'm full of ideas, and they're all edible!