Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Ease Rating: Ambitious
Carbon Emission Savings: 50 kg CO2e
5 - ~80% target progress (2,000+ kg CO2e)
4 - ~60% (1,000 - 2,000 kg CO2e)
3 - ~20% (500 - 1,000 kg CO2e)
2 - ~10% (100 - 500 kg CO2e)
1 - <10% (<100 kg CO2e)
0 - <1% (<30 kg CO2e)
No. of People Influenced Beyond You: tens of people
Amount of Savings: n/a
Impacts: 💪🏽 Improve Health
Categories: Outside
Description
We are losing our yards at an alarming rate, with many being paved over and covered with concrete, stone, artificial grass, or gravel.
This is superheating the area around our homes, removing animal habitats, making flooding more likely, and increasing the amount of COâ‚‚ in the atmosphere. Sometimes, it looks quite unsightly and, in reality, requires more maintenance and cost than natural alternatives.
We are in danger of creating vast concrete neighborhoods with long-term damaging effects on the environment and our happiness. Who wants to look out of their window and see nothing but parked cars and walls? Anything man-made has a natural alternative when it comes to our outdoor spaces, so get to re-greening where you can!
Tips
• Remove unused areas of hard paving and replace them with dirt and greenery.• Plant hedging as a boundary rather than using artificial materials.
• If adding a walkway out of concrete, stone, or other materials, keep its footprint limited so there is more space for plants.
• Cover walls and fences with climbers and ivy.
• Even if you have a small yard or windowsill, you can fill these with planters full of native shrubs and flowers for a prettier view and increase the habitat for insects and birds.
• When greening previously barren areas, consider low-maintenance plants like trees, perennials, ground cover, and shrubs that tend to take care of themselves. Consider avoiding high-maintenance plants like grass that you need to cut and water regularly.