Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Yellow Lawn? Good Samaritan!

I like this article by Eric Zorn about how Chicago's record dry spell has made his lawn a beacon of self-sacrifice amidst desperate-sprinkler users trying to combat yellow grass. And good for Governor Blagojevich for standing by his word!

On July 3, Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued a statement telling state agencies to be conservative when watering lawns and washing state vehicles.

Can do!

I'm not a state agency, but count me in as a loyal citizen volunteer. Pin the tumbleweed cluster on my breast and praise my khaki-colored turf. My lawn is now semi-living proof of my selfless responsibility, my willingness to set aside shallow considerations of appearance to help this region overcome an insidious natural disaster.

The average lawn needs less than an inch of water a month to remain alive, said Kris Bachtell, director of collections and grounds at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle; it takes an inch a week to keep it green.

The governor is an inch-a-month guy. I took a walk by his house Monday morning--he lives less than 2 miles from us--and saw that portions of his lawn have also turned to straw and that, like us, he has a patch of new grass that has received water during the drought lest it fail to take root.

4 comments:

Chris said...

To show you how pop culture is a horrible guilty pleasure for me, I have to say what this entry reminded me of:

"Brown lawns are for poor people, and we're not poor." Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge) in "A Cinderella Story" (horrible movie) right before the camera pulls out to show that the lawn is the only green one in the neighborhood.

I somehow think there are more than a few "Fionas" where we come from.

My only question: how is conserving water by not watering one's lawn being a "good samaritan"?

Elaine said...

Well, Zorn's point is he's not wasting precious water, but he acknowledges that Blagojevich didn't really say citizens had to stop watering.

Chris said...

I was just being a future English professor and trying to figure out why you used the reference you used. I just don't get the allusive analogy, that's all. Sure I guess he's "virtuous" for saving water that might be used by other people, but I question how compassion can be shown towards water.

Elaine said...

Oy I see I see. Wrong word. You're right.