A NASA study finds that no irrigated vegetation covers more surface in the United States than the collection of lawns that are so important to the American identity.
"Americans’ lawns now cover an area three times larger than any irrigated crop in the U.S.," according to a post by Rob Wile.
"According to a new study [pdf] from NASA scientists in collaboration with researchers in the Mountain West, there is now an estimated total of 163,812 square kilometers, or more than 63,000 square miles, of lawn in America — about the size of Texas."
The study focused on the environmental of the country's lawns, finding good news and bad news. For good news, lawns remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For bad news, many lawns uses up to 900 liters of water a day.
FULL STORY: The American lawn is now the largest single ‘crop’ in the U.S.
Let the Lawns Go
According to one Dallas suburbanite, the American lawn is a "decadent and unsustainable totem[s] of middle-class prosperity."
Arizona Native Community Launches First Solar-Over-Canal Project
Covering an irrigation canal with solar panels doubles its utility, producing renewable energy while protecting canal infrastructure and reducing water evaporation.
Southwest Utah Lawn ‘Buyback’ Program Pays Off
Washington County has dramatically reduced per-capita water use, but the region’s explosive growth means increased demand for water.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
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Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’
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Milwaukee to Double Bike Share Stations
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