Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!ames!hc!lanl!beta!dd
From: dd@beta.lanl.gov (Dan Davison)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Is Mowing your Lawn bad for the Environment?
Summary: short answer, yes
Keywords: lawns, oxygen production
Message-ID: <24908@beta.lanl.gov>
Date: 25 May 89 03:44:31 GMT
References: <1989May23.190505.18229@utpsych.toronto.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 20

In article <1989May23.190505.18229@utpsych.toronto.edu>, raymond@utpsych.toronto.edu (Raymond Shaw) writes:
> Would the lawn produce more oxygen (which I presume is good for the environment)
> if I didn't mow it, and just let it grow?

Yes.  But the the amount is very, very small.  Somewhat more than 50%
of the world's oxygen comes from the top meter or so of the oceans.
At least 30%, by the last estimate I remember, comes from forests,
rain forests, and similar large-scale O2 producers.

Your lawn does indeed contribute to the total O2, but I wouldn't
worry about it.  On the other hand, if I owned a house & thought could
get away with letting the grass grow long, I would.  The reasons
not to do this include ticks, fleas, and assorted insects.

dan davison/theoretical biology/t-10 ms k710/los alamos national laboratory
los alamos, nm 875545/dd@lanl.gov (arpa)/dd@lanl.uucp(new)/..cmcl2!lanl!dd

-- 
dan davison/theoretical biology/t-10 ms k710/los alamos national laboratory
los alamos, nm 875545/dd@lanl.gov (arpa)/dd@lanl.uucp(new)/..cmcl2!lanl!dd