New Research: Lawns Aren't Green

Grass, like most plants, has long been thought as instrumental to counteracting global warming by sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil as well as converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. In this University of California at Irvine study, soon to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, shows that the lawns cause far more emissions than they store in the soil.

"(G)reenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer production, mowing, leaf blowing and other lawn management practices are four times greater than the amount of carbon stored by ornamental grass in parks, a UC Irvine study shows. These emissions include nitrous oxide released from soil after fertilization. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that's 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide."