How Modern Landscaping is Impacting the Environment
As the world becomes increasingly conscious of climate change and the effects of global warming on the environment, some have called for a return to naturalistic landscaping. There is a strong argument to suggest that modern landscaping practices impact climate change. These are some of the most common landscape design unicoi tn and how they influence climate change.
Outdoor Structures Replacing Plants and Trees
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but when you replace them with buildings or other structures, there is less uptake. Another way outdoor structures contribute to climate change is by increasing energy consumption. Buildings require electricity for lights and heat, which requires fossil fuels to produce and distribute electricity. This results in increased emissions from burning fossil fuels for energy use.
When considering carbon offsetting and increased energy consumption, outdoor structures cause higher greenhouse gas emissions than plants and trees.
Using Artificial Instead of Traditional turf
Artificial turf is so popular because it does not require watering or mowing, and you can use it in areas where traditional lawns would not thrive. It also requires less maintenance than traditional turf and can last for decades. However, these benefits come at a cost to the environment.
Artificial turf requires energy to manufacture, transport and install, contributing to releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, water usage increases when you replace a lawn with artificial grass because you need more frequent watering over time to keep your lawn looking healthy and green.
Hard Landscaping, Driveways and Paving Replacing Natural Plants
If you have replaced your natural grass and plants with hard landscaping, such as concrete or asphalt, you negatively contribute to climate change.
Water Features and Other Things to Attract Wildlife
Water features greatly impact climate change because they help keep the air cool by evaporating water. It can lower temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius when this happens. This is especially important in areas where temperatures are already high.
Improved Technologies in Landscaping Tools
Some improved technologies in landscaping tools can save energy and help reduce our carbon footprint. Modern irrigation timers have designs that allow them to turn on automatically at set time intervals, reducing the amount of water used by your lawn.
Some lawn mowers have an automatic shutoff feature that stops them from running if you leave them unattended for too long. This is especially helpful if you’re worried about leaving your mower running while you step inside to grab a cup of coffee.
Read more on How Technology is Advancing Landscaping Projects by Groby Landscapes.
Modern landscaping is affecting our environment critically. However, we cannot ignore t utilities these yards have given us. The major hitch of modern landscaping is plants’ absence, which degrades our surrounding natural environment.
