
Stop using poison on your lawn - forkandwait
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/opinion/nature-lawns-environment.html
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crankylinuxuser
I'm 37.

I remember when I was 8, 10, 14. In the late 80's and early 90's. In the
evening and night, bugs were _everywhere_ if you drove. They were thick, like
a fog all to its own. You needed windshield wiper fluid at minimum, and you'd
have a hood-bug-stopper.

These days, I drive and drive and drive. And what do I not see? I don't see
the clouds of bugs everywhere. I rarely have to use windshield wiper fluid -
the majority was for bugs that just aren't there now.

I'm already feeling the life changes of climate change, and I'm in Indiana.
It's no sealevel change, but its the very life; the bugs, the birds, the
mammals, and plants that grow. I'm sure farmers feel it more, but given
politics, it seems the farmers are against the idea of climate change - as
it's some sort of democrat talking point... But we can just add more
fertilizer.

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rmrfrmrf
Quite the romantic notion of wildflowers spontaneously blooming in your
unkempt yard when the best you're likely to get is crabgrass.

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scrumper
I get both, for what it's worth. Plenty of crabgrass later in the season, but
abundant clover, wild strawberries, wild violets, and little tiny blue pansy
things that I don't know the name of earlier. Bees everywhere!

Past July though it looks pretty shitty.

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phasecode
>Why poison the earth when you can have wildflowers at your feet and songbirds
in your trees without even trying?

Because if my lawn has any random wildflowers the HOA will send a letter and a
fine if it isn't fixed within 5 days.

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anon491throw
In the US, TSCA 1974 grandfathered in thousands of chemicals with zero proof
of safety and no studies. I think Ralph Nader needs to hit this point every
now and then to remind people that American chemicals are ridiculously under-
regulated compared to Scandinavian and other Western countries. And if you're
still using RoundUp, switch to table salt.. it will kill most plants but not
kill you.

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philipkglass
Killing weeds with salt is a terrible idea unless you want _no plants at all_
to grow in your yard. And probably still a bad idea even then because there is
no easy way to take the salt back out of soil.

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throwmeawayl8r
Often, that's desirable. Most recurring weeds grow in cracks between joints in
concrete. Use good judgement, duh.

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senectus1
Oh hell no.

Here in West Australia we get these bastards in our lawn
[https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/declared-plants/doublegee-
pest](https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/declared-plants/doublegee-pest)

Natures Caltrops. and let me tell you, they're strong enough to pop a tyre on
a pushbike.

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upofadown
The author doesn't seem to have any real understanding of the various sorts of
chemicals people use on their lawn.

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sys_64738
Vinegar?

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LeoPanthera
Important to be aware that this is an opinion piece.

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Konnstann
Should the title be changed to "I think you should stop using poison on your
lawn" then?

