Why Worry

Things that Happen around the World when We Are in It

American BeautiesBeautifully maintained neighbor on our left.Annual water consumption: 60,000 gallons. Annual lawn maintenance fee:$900 USD

Beautifully maintained neighbor on our right.

Annual water consumption:20,000 gallons.Annual lawn maintenance fee:$2,200 USD

The Beast Behind2,4-Dicholorophenoxyacedtic acid

Created during World War II, this is the most common herbicide in the world, and can increase the abnormalities in sperms.

2-Methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (Dicamba)

An EPA-listed developmental toxin, this is the second popular herbicide in the United States.

2-(2-Methyl-4-chlorphenoxy)propionic acid

Third, but not at least last, is listed as a possible carcinogen by International Agency for Research on Cancer , this is also a toxin for birds.

Image resources: Wikipedia and chmicalbook.com Information resources: EPA, IARC, Audubon, healthylawn.org

The Hands that Feed and the Hands that Bite

• Fertilizer for the Lawn • Killers for the Earth

Fertilizer plant in India Phytoplankton Blooms in the Black Sea

Image resources: India Department of Agriculture, NASA

Stats and Comparison

650.3 Liters/capita/day 122 liters/capita/day

Sources: EPA Watersense, Datum zum Umwelt, Wikipedia.de

American Residential Water Use

Where did all the green go?

• 67 million lbs of synthetic pesticides• Three times as much pesticide on lawns per acre as

on agricultural crops • 58 million gallons of gasoline for the lawn mowers

(running a regular-size lawn mower for an hour is equal to running a sedan for 20 miles when it comes to CO2 emission.)

• Among 30 commonly used lawn pesticides, 16 are toxic to birds, 24 are toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, and 11 are deadly to beesResources: EPA, Cornell Ornithology Lab, EcoLocalizer, www.ezinerticles.com

Beauty…

and the Beasts

Home, Sweet (low-maintenance, low-energy, low-water waste) Home.

lavender

Yoshino Cherry crabapple

heather

blueberries

gaillardia

lupinelinden

Sugar maple

Tulip poplar

Paper birch

River birch

Vegetable garden

forbs