Earth Saving Tips from Earth Share

Summer 2000

CUTTING-EDGE TIPS FOR SUMMER LAWNS

It is astounding what we do to the environment in the quest for the perfectly manicured, weed-free lawn. Keeping the grass green isn't always green for the earth. But it's possible to have a healthy lawn and a healthy planet.

Take mowers. The most popular models are gas-powered, which are prolific polluters of the air (not to mention the ears). According to the U.S. EPA:

Almost 600 million gallons of gas are used each year in the U.S. for mowers.
A gas mower can emit as much air pollution during an hour of use as a new car driving 350 miles.
Gas mowers, like SUVs, needn't meet the same emission standards as cars. In fact, a mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late-model cars.
Escaping gasoline vapors - from spills and leaky gas cans - are a major culprit behind smog problems. Each year, Americans spill more than nine million gallons of gasoline - the equivalent of an oil supertanker! Consider electric mowers - or, better yet, push-powered models - which don't pollute. Or buy a mulching mower, which cuts super-fine clippings and blows them into the turf. The clippings fertilize the lawn, retain moisture, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

Other grass-cutting tips:

Make your first cuts short to clear off dead blades and encourage the grass to spread.
Raise your cutting height as the grass begins to grow vigorously.
Don't cut off more than a third of the blade at once; it's a shock to the plant.
Keep your blades sharp or you'll tear the grass instead of cutting it.
Avoid mowing on hot summer days when the air quality is bad.

DON'T BAG IT - GRASSCYCLE IT!

Allowing grass to grow to its proper height can reduce weed problems by 50-80% without chemicals. "Grasscycling" is a simple way to keep your lawn healthy while keeping grass trimmings out of landfills. It combines regular mowing with leaving the clippings on the grass. Yard waste can account for one-fifth of all solid waste in local landfills, and up to half of all yard waste comes from grass. Clippings are recyclable and do not need to take up valuable landfill space. Here are more things to know about grasscycling:

Leaving the clippings on the grass isn't as silly as it may seem. Grass clippings are up to 85% water. When you mow frequently, the short clippings quickly decompose and release nutrients to fertilize the lawn.

Even though you're mowing more often, you may not be working harder. For example, when you grasscycle, you don't have to stop every few minutes to empty the mower, then drag a heavy bag into the trash.

Grasscycling returns nearly two pounds of nitrogen to every 1,000 square feet of lawn each year. Over time, that can cut fertilizer use by up to 25%. That can save even more time--and money.

Grass clippings won't cause thatch on your lawn. Thatch is caused by excessive growth from overfertilizing, by allowing the grass get too high before mowing, or by incorrect watering.

Grass clippings also can be used as a mulch around vegetables or flowers to inhibit weed growth and retain soil moisture. Keep clippings at least two inches away from young plants to avoid "burning" the new growth.

Add clippings to your compost pile to add extra nutrients. To avoid odors, no more than a third of your compost pile should be grass clippings.

WWW.SAVE-ENERGY.NOW

The Internet is fast becoming the homeowner's best friend for learning about - and reducing - energy use. A variety of web sites offer products, resources, and cool tools to help you switch to greener energy sources and get the most from every watt you purchase. Here's a sampling:

ENERGYguide.com (www.energyguide.com) offers a range of free services, including personalized energy calculators to help you compare your home's energy use to similar homes, and information on the efficiency of the latest energy-saving products.

Home Energy Checkup Calculator (www.ase.org/checkup/home/main.html) provides a quick analysis of potential energy-efficiency retrofits in a single-family home. You enter information about your climate, energy prices, and other information, and the program assesses various retrofit options.

Fuel Economy Calculator (www.fueleconomy.gov) provides everything you've ever wanted to know about cars and energy, from the mile-per-gallon ratings of 1985-2000 model cars, to tips on how to get the most mileage out of every drop of gas, to a peek at the newest emerging technologies.

Environmental Benefits of Green Power (199.223.18.230/epa/rew/rew.nsf/greenpower/index.html) allows you to estimate the environmental benefits of buying "green power" (from renewable resources) in your state.

Inspector Green (www.inspectorgreen.com) is a fun site to help students learn how energy and water are used, and what their cost is to the environment - as well as to their family's pocketbook.

Watts On Your Mind (www.wattsnew.com) is part of an engaging and comprehensive program to help elementary school-age kids understand the importance of not wasting energy. The program is sponsored by the U.S. EPA, Earth Share, and the Ad Council.

YO, BABY, BE COOL

Hot enough for you? Keeping your cool during the hot months can use a lot of costly energy. Here are some tips for a comfortable home - and a low energy bill:

Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They work best at night, when the outside air is cooler than the air inside.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your cooling bill will be.
Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It won't cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
Consider using an interior fan in combination with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Plant leafy trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not block the flow of air. An AC unit operating in the shade can use as much as 10% less electricity than the same unit operating in the sun.

[Back to Tips Index]

Earth Share, a federation of America's leading non-profit environmental and conservation charities, promotes environmental education and charitable giving in employee workplace campaigns.

For more tips or to find out how your workplace can help the earth, visit the "Get Involved" section of our website, or call (800) 875-3863.