Technically, lawn grass is a ground cover—it’s just one of many options available to cover soil. Why do people choose turf grass in such huge numbers? I submit a variety of reasons:

1. Initial cost. Grass seed is cheap and a quick fix for bare soil.
2. Tradition & envy. For the last couple of generations, Americans have been exhorted to grow & maintain a green lawn. Upwardly mobile middle-class Americans saw the vast expanse of shorn grass at the homes of wealthy people and sought to mimic it.
3. Marketing. First by suburban developers, then by the lawn care industry, the propaganda machine has worked full-tilt to encourage us to weed, feed, and generally pamper grass.
4. Looks. Some people simply like a nice, green lawn.
5. Play area. Families prefer a patch of grass for children to play on. A grass surface is also ideal for some outside games, like croquet & badminton.
6. Education. Many Americans haven’t been taught anything other than grass. La maggior parte dei genitori non ha imparato a conoscere le alternative e spesso ci vuole un vicino, una classe o una visita a un giardino botanico locale per aprire gli occhi.

Gli americani dovrebbero ridurre la quantità di prato che mantengono? Assolutamente sì. L'uso eccessivo di erbicidi, pesticidi e spreco d'acqua mi sembra ovvio. Detto questo, gli altri americani saranno in grado di superare tutto ciò? Dobbiamo ancora vedere.