Young Brunette Girl Posing On The Lawn

“That means about 200 gallons of fresh, usually drinking-quality water per person per day would be required to keep up our nation's lawn surface area.”
In the United States lawn heights are generally maintained by gasoline-powered lawnmowers, which contribute to urban smog during the summer months. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that in some urban areas, up to 5% of smog was due to pre-1997 small gasoline engines such as are typically used on lawnmowers. Since 1997, the EPA has mandated emissions controls on newer engines in an effort to reduce smog.
A 2010 study seemed to show that lawn care inputs were balanced by the carbon sequestration benefits of lawns, and they may not be detrimental in anthropogenic global warming.
However, using ecological techniques including organic lawn management, the impact of lawns can be reduced. Such methods include: the use of local grasses, sedges, and low herbs; higher mowing techniques; low volume irrigation, 'grasscycling' grass clippings in place; an integrated pest management program; exclusive organic fertilizer and compost use; and including a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and other plants surrounding the lawn. A positive benefit of a healthy lawn is that it filters contaminants and prevents run-off and erosion of bare dirt.