#76: L.A. loves its lawns. And while a whole lotta you have transitioned to more drought-tolerant yards, there is still a lot of grass in front of most homes out there.

Statewide, about half of household water usage goes to outdoor landscaping. AND to stay looking nice and green….lawns require more irrigation than any other agricultural crop.

But how, in this desert climate of ours, did lush, green lawns become so popular? And how can we replace this water-guzzling crop with climate-appropriate alternatives?

LAist’s climate emergency reporter Erin Stone and producer Megan Botel head to the Los Angeles County Arboretum to find out.

Guest: Richard Schulhof, CEO of the Los Angeles County Arboretum

Check out Erin's article for more on the history and future of lawns in LA.

#76: L.A. loves its lawns. And while a whole lotta you have transitioned to more drought-tolerant yards, there is still a lot of grass in front of most homes out there.
Statewide, about half of household water usage goes to outdoor landscaping. AND to stay looking nice and green….lawns require more irrigation than any other agricultural crop.
But how, in this desert climate of ours, did lush, green lawns become so popular? And how can we replace this water-guzzling crop with climate-appropriate alternatives?
LAist’s climate emergency reporter Erin Stone and producer Megan Botel head to the Los Angeles County Arboretum to find out.
Guest: Richard Schulhof, CEO of the Los Angeles County Arboretum
Check out <a href="https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/letting-go-of-our-love-of-lawns">Erin's article </a>for more on the history and future of lawns in LA.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Advertisement