I’m not a fan of lawns but I have a huge lawn that does none of these things and looks fine. I don’t irrigate and my lawn is greener than the neighbors. I let anything grow and cut it long with an electric mower. Plenty of shade /w 20+ oaks covering the whole property. No idea about nitrogen, but I don’t fertilize, everything that drops from trees gets mulched back into the lawn which keeps everything healthy. At least there are ways to avoid these things if you care.
Lawns:
require artificial irrigation that contributes to depletion ofvaquifers
create monocultures that reduce biodiversity and harm ecosystems
require maintenance that usually involves burning fossil fuels
shadeless lawns contribute to warmer neighborhoods
act as nitrogen sinks
But there are benefits too like useable play areas, and with well maintained lawns you have a lower risk of issues like ticks etc.
I realise where I am making this argument but I just came across this and didnt realise people hated lawns.
I’m not a fan of lawns but I have a huge lawn that does none of these things and looks fine. I don’t irrigate and my lawn is greener than the neighbors. I let anything grow and cut it long with an electric mower. Plenty of shade /w 20+ oaks covering the whole property. No idea about nitrogen, but I don’t fertilize, everything that drops from trees gets mulched back into the lawn which keeps everything healthy. At least there are ways to avoid these things if you care.
Ofvaquifers
I see you’re using a Samsung keyboard