25 Dec 08 Destroy all lawnmowers

I occasionally allow myself the luxury of an afternoon snooze when I’m off work. Invariably, no sooner have I dozed off my bedroom is assaulted by the sounds of a multitude of grass cutting devices; lawnmowers, whipper snippers, power brooms, edgers etc. As I fitfully attempt to go back to sleep, I wonder if these infernal devices really are necessary and whether the world might be a much better place without them.

For many years, farmers in this country (Australia) attempted unsuccessfully to transform rural areas into another version of Europe. The result has been salination of soil, erosion and ultimately destruction of vast tracts of land. It was not until farmers made the realisation that Australian conditions are unique and need a completely different approach that they achieved any measure of sustainable success. Unfortunately, this realization has not made the transition to the suburbs, which are still largely carpeted in English style lawns and planted with alien species of plants.

Do we really need to spend so much time carefully manicuring these rather useless patches of imported grass? Does anyone really do anything with them other than look at them? Has anyone tried to calculate how much the horrible machines add to total emissions? On any day of the week the suburbs are abuzz with hordes of the things; the amount of pollution they produce has to be appreciable. Noise pollution is of course another very noticeable byproduct.

Why not do away with the machines and allow suburban ecology to revert to the natural beauty of the former bushland environment? Australian native grass could be planted in the place of the imported lawns; it never needs cutting and is consequently a great deal quieter.

Tags: australian environment, australian native grass, lawnmower emmisions, suburban ecology