A 2005 study found 40 million acres of lawn in USA
“ turf grasses would represent the single largest irrigated ‘crop’ in the U.S.” 1
Water used: 49 billion gallons of water a week
Fertilizer used: 3 million tons/year
Deathacides used: $2.2 billion used in USA 2007, 10 times more than Industrial Agriculture.
40 million acres of ecological blight offer a unique opportunity to eradicate, remediate and #CarbonFarmLawn . Edible Landscaping, Backyard Orchard Culture, Naturescaping with native trees, shrubs and perennials and multifunctional rain gardens are sustainable practices that keep carbon in the soil and in perennial biomass. They can supply multiple vital ecosystems services such as soil creation stormwater remediation, water filtering and infiltration, food and medicine, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and human spiritual wellbeing.
We can convert the front yards of America into beautiful, biologically diverse, perennial and productive carbon sequestration systems, Paradise Gardens.
- Milesi, C., Elvidge, C.D., Dietz, J.B., Tuttle, B.T., Nemani, R.R. and Running, S.W., 2005. A strategy for mapping and modeling the ecological effects of US lawns. J. Turfgrass Manage, 1, pp.83-97.
Friday, 10 February 2017
6:00pm potluck, 7:00pm Bryan Welch
Unity of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Lane
Lawrence KS 66049 (4 blocks west of the Merc)
At this year’s Sustainability Action Annual Meeting, we’re proud to have Bryan Welch as our keynote speaker. Bryan was formerly the publisher of Mother Earth News, and founder of the Mother Earth News Fair. He is now the CEO of B The Change Media, which promotes ethical businesses that operate by a triple bottom line of people-planet-profit, in equal proportion.
His address is titled “Business as a Force for Good”. We feel this is a strong counterpoint to the self-aggrandizing billionaire class that is about to privatize the institutions of our Federal government for their personal gain – leaving people and planet as an afterthought at best. Bryan also takes interest in Slow Money, Earthships, overpopulation, raising grass-fed cattle, sheep and goats, and ingenious frugality. Download a Bryan-Welch-flier_10Feb17.pdf
Our ninth Annual Meeting will start with a pot luck dinner at 6:00pm, followed by Bryan’s talk at 7:00pm. We’ll then indulge a little, and celebrate our 2016 accomplishments. After a brief business meeting, there will be casual mingling for the remainder of the evening.
Bryan Welch approaches ecological sustainability from many angles, with each bringing a unique solution to the mix. He understands that our ecological footprint can be lightened by agriculture that builds the soil, by preserving healthy ecosystems, by reducing human overpopulation, by renewable energy and resource recycling, by human ingenuity and shared knowledge, and by businesses that operate with these ethics foremost in mind. He includes as his influences people like Wendell Berry, Robert Frost, Jane Goodall and Joel Salatin. Watch this delightful video of Joel Salatin & Bryan Welch on Ecology Ethics.
Bryan and his wife, Carolyn, raise organic, grass-fed cattle, sheep and goats at Rancho Cappuccino near Lawrence, Kansas. For 19 years he ran Ogden Publications in Topeka KS, as the publisher of Mother Earth News. Before starting Ogden Publications in 1996, Bryan was a reporter, editor and publisher at newspapers in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Connecticut and Minnesota. He has served on the boards of the Magazine Publishers Association, the Social Venture Network, Down Home Ranch Foundation and several other nonprofits. His award-winning book, Beautiful & Abundant: Building the World We Want, appeared in 2011.
