What environmental purpose do lawns serve?
Answer:
Most importantly, I think the story is made up nonsense. Probably by someone with political motives.
But lawns serve very little environmental purpose. In many areas water use for lawns is a significant fraction of total water consumption. In water shortage times local governments sometimes restrict the use of water on lawns.
People who are trying for "the perfect lawn" often apply massive amounts of fertilizer and pesticides which ends up running off in rain and contaminating natural water bodies.
Decorating with local native plants that grow with natural water and low levels of chemicals or none at all is far better environmentally.
But I think the story is made up political nonsense.
Artificial lawns implemented by the Government? I haven't heard that one. If that were true it might be to save water, or to cut down on pollution from fertilizer, but I think we need as much real grass as possible, to consume CO2 and produce oxygen!
None whatever. Lawn grass is environmentally neutral, except for the water that it takes to maintain it -- which in some areas is a significant problem.
I second Bob's answer. Basically to keep a lawn green can require a lot of water. Personally one of my neighbors has a sprinkler going on his lawn practically 24/7. I'm reminded of 'King of the Hill' where the characters - Hank Hill in particular - are rather obsessed with plush green lawns. There was even an episode where they faced a water shortage and rationing and it caused much anxiety that their lawns were turning yellow.
Regardless, the government cannot simply force anyone to replace their lawns with artificial turf. They can regulate your water consumption which might cause your lawn to die, but they can't force you to install artificial grass.
Lawns give us an excuse to use chemicals to make the grass look good.
Wonderful stuff... Weed and feed... roundup, Weed-B-Gone, Andro Ant bait...
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Artificial turf has some benefits especially in arid climates. Its just plain stupid to try to grow a "pretty green lawn" in Las Vegas.
You get the look of the green lawn without the waste of hundreds of gallons of water each week.
Keeps the dust and dirt down... it's cooler that black top and has the advantage of slowing storm run off... it is low maintenance if one isn't trying for a putting green for a yard, or not trying to grow grass in the desert.
gives us someplace soft to fall on when we come home drunk at night
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