TURF WAR!!
Posted by Bartleby on November 1, 2007
Environmentalist University of Nebraska at Lincoln Student Senator Fights The Turf!!
Monica Sanford, a graduate student in architecture and county regional planning, said she researched synthetic turfs and found reports that say the materials found in a synthetic turf would eventually harm the environment.
Sanford voted against the resolution.
Bill Goa Jr., senior associate director of campus rec, said he hasn’t found any reports of synthetic turf harming the environment.
“We would never, ever do anything to hurt the environment,” he said.
I would be curious to hear how turf hurts the environment more than, say, fertilizer, mower exhaust, and water consumption. I was always under the impression that it aided in reducing waste and pollution by recycling and grinding up all those pesky used tires for the underlayment and synthetic materials.
Annie costa said
Please take a look at the wealth of studies we have published on our site regarding artificial grass human health and environmental safety!
You will find that there are many, published, independent reports that cite the use of the crumb rubber infill materials are not known to be at all harmful to humans, pets or the environment.
If you’re really “concerned” about the rubber infill materials – there are alternatives you can use instead of the new or recycled rubber granules (see the site (environemental pages are located here => http://www.asgi.us/52.htm)
Certainly, NEVER as potentially harmful as natural lawn and turf materials are – http://www.pesticides.org.
We invite your browsing and comments!
Annie Costa
Exec Director
ASGi
Association of Synthetic Grass Installers
Bartleby said
I’m not concerned one bit and am already convinced synthetic turf does not danger the environment more than natural turf. Thanks for your confirmation.
I posted to highlight the overboard absurdness of the student senator’s statements.
Jo Smith said
That is too funny. Turf being environmentally unfriendly. What about the environmental impact of football period? Aluminum cans, propane, styrofoam, etc.
Ok. I admit it. I hate football. It is boring.
Therefore, any remarks I would make about it would be baised
.
Monica said
As the author grad student in question, I would like to weight in against synthetic turf based not just on mild concerns, but on the hundreds of pages of research I dug up in order to write a twelve page research paper on the subject (it could have been longer).
You’re right – chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are bad. But we have a choice into the types we use, how much, and IF we use them at all. I would also advocate to discontinue or severly limit their use on natural turn fields.
With the synthetic stuff, once it’s down, it’s down, and it’s there for 10-20 years. After which it goes in the landfill. My main concern with synthetic turf fields is a matter of bioaccululation. Individually no one field is harmful enough to the environment to merrit concern. Neither is one beer can, plastic bag, or automobile – but these items too are starting generate anxiety and for good reason.
I think the most interesting finding I made was in studying a publication by Field Turf, one of the major manufacturers in the industry, which allegedly quoted several dozen studies saying the stuff is safe. I say allegedly because the quotations were not properly cited (any college professor out there would have failed me in a heartbeat)and when I tried to look them up I couldn’t find eve ONE! However, I did manage to find reports by the same agencies (such as the Dutch ministries of environment and health) which were negative of synthetic turf.
Hmmmm…