How Turfgrass Affects the Environment

OUR PRECIOUS PLANET Being A True Environmentalist Begins Right Under Our Feet
Turfgrass -- Functional, Recreational & Aesthetic
The earth has been good to us, but we haven't always been good to it.

While industry and technology have provided jobs and goods to make life easier, the effect on the environment has been substantial.

But we can help restore this precious earth with something as simple as turfgrass -- the earth's living skin.

The U.S. Congress has acknowledged these positive benefits to our environment. "Turfgrass sod in urban areas and communities can aid in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, mitigating the heat island effect, reducing energy consumption and contributing to efforts to reduce global warming trends."

Scientific research has documented the many benefits of turfgrass to our environment. Our turfgrass lawns, parks and open areas:

• Provide a natural, comfortable, and safe setting for fun and games.
• Release oxygen and cool the air.
• Control pollution and reduce soil erosion.
• Purify and replenish our water supply.

Our Environment
The satisfaction of creating beauty within the landscape can be rewarding for you and the environment. With turfgrass sod, the rewards are practically immediate.

•  A well maintained lawn and landscape can enhance the "curb appeal" adding as much as 15 percent to the value of a home.

Pollution Control
Today's improved turfgrass varieties are very effective in reducing pollution.

• Turfgrass traps and removes dust and dirt from the air.
• 2,500 square feet of lawn absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and release enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.

Nature's Air Conditioner
Another benefit that everyone enjoys, usually without notice, is turfgrass' tremendous cooling effect.

• On a hot summer day, lawns will be 30 degrees cooler than asphalt and 14 degrees cooler than bare soil.
• The front lawns of eight houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning. That's amazing when the average home has an air conditioner with just a three or four ton capacity.
• The cooling effect of irrigated turf reduces the amount of fuel that must be burned to provide the electricity which powers the air conditioners.
• Watered when the grass plant needs it, turfgrass will very efficiently and effectively use almost every drop.

A Natural Filter
Runoff water in urban areas carries many pollutants.

•  Turfgrass acts as a natural filter, reducing pollution by purifying the water passing through its root zone.

Soil Erosion
The clean gentle strength of turfgrass is the most cost-effective method for controlling wind and water erosion.

• A healthy sodded lawn absorbs rainfall six times more effectively than a wheat field and four times better than a hay field
• A sodded lawn will absorb greater amounts of rain than a seeded lawn; even after three years of growth.

Fun & Games
The soft resilient surface of turfgrass is the safest and least expensive place to play.

• For backyard ball games or the Super Bowl, athletes of all sizes prefer the green cushion of turfgrass.
• Turfgrass is the only place for putting, picnics or just plain relaxing.

Our Mental Health
Turfgrass quietly adds to the beauty of our lives and even our mental and physical health.

• Doctors have shown that people recover faster in a hospital when given a landscape view, rather than seeing only the walls of adjoining buildings.

Turfgrass
. . . a continuing source of oxygen and cool air. . . . a cleansing answer to our environment. . . . a source of beauty and comfort. With the benefits of turfgrass working their wonders for us, we will be able to share a beautiful and healthy planet with our future generations.