small steps, smaller footprints

 

Ah, a relaxing Saturday morning, a cup of coffee, and the incessant rumbling and buzzing of lawn equipment. How relaxing… Action 29 isn't for everyone, because not everyone owns a yard or lawn mowing equipment. Recall, CarbonCurb is focused on the average behaviors of Americans. The average American has an average sense of humor, with an average yard and lawnmower, which is used an average of once per week during the growing season. There is absolutely nothing sustainable about the American yard. Aside from it being a wildlife desert, the amount of water, chemicals, and fossil fuel used to maintain lawns make the average property about as unfriendly to nature as anything. Let the grass grow and allow native plants to take hold of at least part of your property. Depending on where you live, there may even be government incentives for converting your wildlife desert into a natural oasis. It is nice to have some space that is kept under control, but consider establishing a prairie with wildflowers on at least part of your property. You'll waste less of your life obsessing over the length of your grass, and you'll provide new habitat for pollinators, insects, and other creatures. Additionally, letting the grass grow will store some extra carbon, reduce erosion, reduce the urban heat island effect, and reduce your overall environmental impact. Ignoring all the emissions associated with manufacturing equipment and producing chemical fertilizers, and the carbon sequestration associated with establishing a natural landscape, just the fuel-related impact of Action 29 is:

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