Although I agree with you about chemlawn, I'd also like to point out that keeping the plot surrounding your house covered in a carpet of grass is itself contrary to nature. That grass is probably a non-native species which contributes nothing to the local ecosystem. I'm not sure where people got the idea that a homogenous stretch of boring green is so pretty, when there are literally dozens of species of colorful ground covers that are native to any local area that would look much better. If you were to re-introduce even a couple of those species, you would soon see native fauna returning to the area as well, having finally found their evolutionary "home" again. And because native species evolved right there, with no help from humans, lo and behold, they don't need to be artifically watered or otherwise pampered in order to thrive. And thrive they do, usually choking out the plants that people consider "weeds" without any help from modern chemistry. Alas, I personally believe that we are waking up to the dangers of petrochemicals far too late, and it is only a matter of time now before we see the inevitable sinking of entire ecosystems and gene pools into the toxic swamp we are making out of the surface of this planet. But hey, as we devolve into greater and greater stupidity and kill off all the other species besides our own and the ones we like to keep around for pets and food, we'll still look great in our ScotchGarded clothing, free of stains from our perfectly manicured lawns...
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Although I agree with you about chemlawn, I'd also like to point out that keeping the plot surrounding your house covered in a carpet of grass is itself contrary to nature. That grass is probably a non-native species which contributes nothing to the local ecosystem. I'm not sure where people got the idea that a homogenous stretch of boring green is so pretty, when there are literally dozens of species of colorful ground covers that are native to any local area that would look much better. If you were to re-introduce even a couple of those species, you would soon see native fauna returning to the area as well, having finally found their evolutionary "home" again. And because native species evolved right there, with no help from humans, lo and behold, they don't need to be artifically watered or otherwise pampered in order to thrive. And thrive they do, usually choking out the plants that people consider "weeds" without any help from modern chemistry. Alas, I personally believe that we are waking up to the dangers of petrochemicals far too late, and it is only a matter of time now before we see the inevitable sinking of entire ecosystems and gene pools into the toxic swamp we are making out of the surface of this planet. But hey, as we devolve into greater and greater stupidity and kill off all the other species besides our own and the ones we like to keep around for pets and food, we'll still look great in our ScotchGarded clothing, free of stains from our perfectly manicured lawns...