Artificial garden lawns - what a weird world

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Another installed on our street. I just don’t understand it. Why would anyone do this?

There is a petition to ban their sale for installation in residential dwellings if you want to sign it:

It’s only got 5,900 signatures so far, which seems a pretty low number, given how much of a no brainer this is, imo. Maybe that’s just me.

petition deleted by MNHQ as we don't allow them, we're afraid.

I’m sure I learnt about this in GCSE psychology 20 years ago… how no one gave two shits about recycling because the reward wasn’t imminent or direct. We need a reason to change our behaviour. Luckily the benefits of recycling now seem both imminent and direct (due to the prominence of the conversation). Hopefully the same will happen with this sort of thing very soon. Lots of educating to be done on all sorts of similar issues.

There's 5 pages here and endless other resources explaining how covering your bit of actual, living, real earth in plastic affects others.

The selfishness and sense of entitlement from the pro-plastic lot really makes me despair for the future of this planet.

But you don't actually give the tiniest shit anyway, do you?

It'd help if the snobbery of the anti artificial lawn lot weren't full of people with kids which is infinitely worse for the environment than my lawn, or if they were trying to ban other 'harmful' things like flying.

But no, they WANT both of those things, so it's ok you see.

It's hypocrisy and it is laughable you want us to take them seriously.

It'd help if the snobbery of the anti artificial lawn lot weren't full of people with kids which is infinitely worse for the environment than my lawn, or if they were trying to ban other 'harmful' things like flying.

But no, they WANT both of those things, so it's ok you see

And you know that, how?

It's pathetic how the pro-plastic lot try to find every possible excuse under the sun to justify their choice. I've never seen such whataboutery. Anyone who objects on the grounds of the very clear negative environmental effects is dismissed unless they are a vegan, childless, off-gridder.

Plastic grass is entirely pointless, unnecessary and destroys ecosystems. If you install it, you've made a choice that effectively says you don't give a fuck. Still, the sight of your neon grass will let everyone know that, so there's that positive, I guess.

Um, have you read this thread? MULTIPLE people on it decrying artificial lawns mention their children.

They made a personal decision which affects other people's 'environments'. I'm sure most of them are not vegan, or growing their own food, or living off grid.

And that's ok, I don't expect them to. They are making several choices which damage that same environment they claim, on this topic, is the most important thing, and they're entitled to do so. But you surely don't expect us to take the holier than though attitude seriously because they want to ban the one thing that they don't want anyway, so won't affect them?

And that's before I even get started on how several multi million pound companies are ACTUALLY seriously damaging the environment and yet we want to place the responsibility on Rachel up the street with her lawn.

Rather than trying to get things we don't like at a personal level banned, I think we should have a carbon allowance for all.

That way everyone gets to 'spend' on what's important to them while minimising impact overall.

It'd help if the snobbery of the anti artificial lawn lot weren't full of people with kids which is infinitely worse for the environment than my lawn

Is it?

Environmental impact is not a single issue topic. Very far from it. There really isn't much point in evaluating issues in isolation. Of course people aren't going to engage with people who have much higher footprints than them calling them selfish.

Do you even understand what biodiversity is or how it affects every single thing that allows you to survive? Do you even understand how biodiversity fits into the whole environmental debate and I'm not discussing climate change and CO2e emissions that most defending plastics on here are transfixed on.

OK. But it is possible to say, of all the choices we make that impact the environment, this particular thing is a really, really poor one.

But it is possible to say, of all the choices we make that impact the environment, this particular thing is a really, really poor one.

I don't think so, it's never even mentioned in those lists of 'worst things you can do for the environment'. They consistently have things like having children, eating meet and taking foreign holidays as the most impactful

Not at all, all the time environmentally friendly hypocrites fly around in their private jets. Think that's called selfish and entitled. Forgive the pun but you can drive a tractor through these and most liberal's arguments.

I have some round my pond. God knows why someone gave it to me...the best bit is the grass is poking through it in an act of rebellion

Rather than being accused of being a snob or eco warrior or such like, here is a simple diagram of you many of the posters are confusing carbon footprints with loss of bio diversity and Ecosystems even at a Nano scale you seem to think are not important. Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation of micro plastics and chemicals affect soils and water no matter how small your Artificial lawn is, this is completely separate from those going on about my and others carbon footprints they are two completely separate parts of the climate debate.

With regards to destroying biodiversity i see little difference in taking over a patch of grass to put down fake grass and building over grass to put in a lovely kitchen extension or similar. Yet I don't see much ire directed at the latter.

@bandhee - May I help you with anything?

Rewilding if you'd like suggestions 😀

@TheKeatingFive Building by law now has to fall inline with Bio-Diversity Net Gain which incorporates No Net Loss for biodiversity, artificial grass does not.
Plus Building regulations take into account environmental impacts and have strict guidance, artificial lawns leach Chemicals and micro plastics that add to bioaccumulation and biomagnification in soils the environment, food webs and waterbodies / oceans. The clue is in the name accumulation and magnification, so matter how small it contributes.

Building by law now has to fall inline with Bio-Diversity Net Gain which incorporates No Net Loss for biodiversity, artificial grass does not.

well whatever degree of offsetting is required for home extensions could new applied to fake lawns. I'd be supportive of that.

well whatever degree of offsetting is required for home extensions could new applied to fake lawns. I'd be supportive of that.

This is it, isn’t it. Bans are extreme. The initial petition on this asked for a ban, the government replied and said no (that they generally don’t like to ban things), and the petition OP shared is basically saying “we don’t like your answer so we are going to put forward the same argument again and hope you reconsider”. The petition I found and shared earlier in the thread asks for the sale of these products to be regulated accordingly. It’s a far more balanced petition and therefore I have more confidence in its success.

We have a small artificial lawn. We had it professionally fitted with sand under.
It has transformed our garden, which is tiny, North facing, and surrounded by high trees. The lawn we had before was constantly mud in our heavy clay soil and meant that we couldn't use the garden.
We have flower beds around the lawn. We have two visiting hedgehogs who seem to like snuffling on the lawn for the slugs and snails.

It would have been far worse to build over the lawn to make a mahoosive open plan kitchen, like so many mc profs round here have done. That really would have buggered up the hedgehogs.

DrRuthGalloway

Very wildlife friendly. Ours is similar on the front. It's a tiny bit which lots of real plant pots on.

with not which

@RoomOfRequirement

So according g to you, nobody is EVER allowed to comment on others environmental choices, because everyone has some carbon footprint, by virtue of existing. Choosing recyclable packaging in the supermarket to get a full diet (heck even buying food at all- it's all transported from somewhere) is not the same as rolling out the plastic carpet.

What's worse than the plastic itself is the divorce from nature, as a PP said way back. It's depressing. My garden is lovely and full of plants, bees, wasps and butterflies... why would you want to co tribute to plastic manufacturing and destruction of biodiversity. Baffling.

Those who've put in your garden- at least own it and admit that it's not the best choice, then you don't come across like a bratty obnoxious teenager.

Vile stuff. And then the chemicals required to keep it clean. Repulsive.