Endnotes:

  1. US EPA, OAR. Risk Assessment for Carcinogenic Effects. 23 May 2014, https://www.epa.gov/fera/risk-assessment-carcinogenic-effects

  2. US EPA, OCSPP. 2,4-D. 22 Sept. 2014, https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/24-d

  3. Poisoning in Children. http://johnshopkinshealthcare.staywellsolutionsonline.com/yourfamily/olderadults/85,P00852 Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  4. Understanding Decomposition and Its Controls – Climate, Forests and Woodlands. https://climate-woodlands.extension.org/understanding-decomposition-and-its-controls/ Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  5. Buckley, J.D., Meadows, A.T., Kadin, M.E., Le Beau, M.M., Siegel, S. and Robison, L.L. (2000), Pesticide exposures in children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma†. Cancer, 89: 2315-2321. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(20001201)89:11<2315::AID-CNCR21>3.0.CO;2-G

  6. Wise, C. F., Hammel, S. C., Herkert, N. J., Ospina, M., Calafat, A. M., Breen, M., & Stapleton, H. M. (2022). Comparative Assessment of Pesticide Exposures in Domestic Dogs and Their Owners Using Silicone Passive Samplers and Biomonitoring. Environmental science & technology, 56(2), 1149–1161. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c06819

  7. 2,4-D Fact Sheet. https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/24Dgen.html Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  8. Ibid.

  9. 2,4-D Technical Fact Sheet. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/2%2C4-DTech.html#:~:text=Crops%20treated%20with%202%2C4,hazelnuts%2C%20sugarcane%2C%20and%20barley.&text=Uses%20for%20products%20containing%202,on%20data%20from%201992%2D2000 Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  10. US EPA, OCSPP. 2,4-D. 22 Sept. 2014, https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/24-d

  11. Alavanja, Michael C. R. “Pesticides Use and Exposure Extensive Worldwide.” Reviews on Environmental Health, vol. 24, no. 4, 2009, pp. 303–09. PubMed Central, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946087/

  12. “Black Land Theft and the Racial Wealth Divide.” Inequality.Org, https://inequality.org/article/black-land-theft-racial-wealth-divide/ Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  13. “Lawn & Garden - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast.” Statista, http://frontend.xmo.prod.aws.statista.com/outlook/cmo/diy-hardware-store/lawn-garden/worldwide Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  14. Kyle. “Why Do Americans Spend so Much Time and Money on Their Lawns?” Medium, 4 Oct. 2021, https://medium.com/@kylehollerith/why-do-americans-spend-so-much-time-and-money-on-their-lawns-8bb4959468d1

  15. Inc, IBISWorld. Landscaping Services in the US in the US | IBISWorld. https://www.ibisworld.com/default.aspx Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  16. “Lawn & Garden - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast.” Statista, http://frontend.xmo.prod.aws.statista.com/outlook/cmo/diy-hardware-store/lawn-garden/worldwide Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  17. Types of Pesticides – Gardening Solutions. https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/management/types-of-pesticides/ Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  18. US EPA, ORD. Insecticides. 4 Nov. 2015, https://www.epa.gov/caddis/insecticides

  19. hUS EPA, OAR. Risk Assessment for Carcinogenic Effects. 23 May 2014, https://www.epa.gov/fera/risk-assessment-carcinogenic-effects

  20. US EPA, OCSPP. 2,4-D. 22 Sept. 2014, https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/24-d

  21. Farquhar, Brodie. “Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone.” Yellowstone National Park, 30 June 2021, https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wildlife/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem/

  22. Dr. Doug Tallamy. Interview by John Polatchek, Maeve Callahan. Feb. 2, 2025.

  23. Ibid.

  24. Ibid.

  25. Ray, Suryapratap, and Sanjana Thanjan Shaju. “Bioaccumulation of Pesticides in Fish Resulting Toxicities in Humans through Food Chain and Forensic Aspects.” Environmental Analysis, Health and Toxicology, vol. 38, Aug. 2023, p. e2023017. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.5620/eaht.2023017

  26. Services, Health and Social. DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/contaminants-environnementaux/ddt-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane#:~:text=POPs%20(such%20as%20DDT)%20can,in%20animals%20that%20eat%20plants Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

  27. Brian Collier. Interview by John Polatchek, Maeve Callahan. Nov. 14, 2024.

Figures:

1.1 Image by Cselik Mária

1.2 "File:The Scientific Method (simple).png." Wikimedia Commons. 23 Dec 2022, 02:22 UTC. 9 Apr 2025, 05:17 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:The_Scientific_Method_(simple).png&oldid=718907238>.

1.3 Image by Mark Stebnicki

1.4 Biochar a Promising Strategy for Pesticide-Contaminated Soils - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Global-pesticide-use-kg-ha-data-were-taken-from-FAO-STAT-2022_fig1_364255608 [accessed 9 Apr 2025]

2.1 “Homeownership by Race and Ethnicity of Householder” United States Census Bureau. Oct. 17. 2024. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/us.census. bureau/viz/HomeownershipbyRaceandEthnicityofHouseholder/state_race_db Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

2.2 Image by Postcard Mania

2.3 Infographic by John Polatchek. Data from Greenacres: Landscaping with Native Plants | Great Lakes | US EPA. https://archive.epa.gov/greenacres/ web/html/wo8.html Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

2.4 Moslimani, Rakesh Kochhar and Mohamad. “2. Wealth Gaps across Racial and Ethnic Groups.” Pew Research Center, 4 Dec. 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/2023/12/04/wealth-gaps-across-racial-and-ethnic-groups/

2.5 Ibid.

2.6 "Lawn & Garden - Worldwide." Statista, Statista Inc., https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/diy-hardware-store/lawn-garden/worldwide

3.1 Greenacres: Landscaping with Native Plants | Great Lakes | US EPA. https://archive.epa.gov/greenacres/ web/html/wo8.html Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

3.2 Graph by Jack Polatchek. Stat provided by Dehan, Andrew. “What Are The Most Common Home Maintenance Costs.” Bankrate, 7 Nov. 2024, https://www.bankrate.com/homeownership/most-common-home-maintenance-costs/

3.3 “2025 Lawn Mower Costs | Push vs. Riding Mower Prices.” HomeGuide, 5 Apr. 2023, https://homeguide.com/costs/lawn-mower-prices

3.4 “2025 Lawn Mowing Cost — Average Prices To Cut Grass.” HomeGuide, 5 Apr. 2023, https://homeguide.com/costs/lawn-mowing-cost

3.5 Image from Rawpixel

4.1 “Infographic: Wolves Keep Yellowstone in the Balance.” Earthjustice, https://earthjustice.org/feature/infographic-wolves-keep-yellowstone-in-the-balance Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

4.2 Energy Flow in an Ecosystem. National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/energy-flow-ecosystm Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

4.3 McCarthy, Niall. "Massive Insect Decline Threatens Collapse Of Nature." Statista, Statista Inc., 11 Feb 2019, https://www.statista.com/chart/16960/percentage-decline-in-selected-global-insect-populations/

Complete reference list:

Anderson, M. K., & Moratto, M. J. (1996). Native American land-use practices and ecological impacts. Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, 2, 187. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/aspen_bib/1815/

"Anthropocene." National Geographic Education, National Geographic Society, 19 Oct. 2023, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/anthropocene/. 

Babe, Robert E. Culture of Ecology: Reconciling Economics and Environment. University of Toronto Press, 2006. 

Bennett, Kimberlee. “How Much Does Lawn Mowing Cost in 2024?” Forbes Home, https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/lawn-care/lawn-mowing-cost/.  

Beyond Pesticides. “Lawsuit Challenges TruGreen Chemical Lawn Care Company for Deceptive Safety Claims; Pesticide Applications Stopped by Some States During COVID-19 Crisis as Nonessential.” Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog, 30 Mar. 2020, https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2020/03/lawsuit-challenges-trugreen-chemical-lawn-care-company-for-deceptive-safety-claims-pesticide-applications-stopped-by-some-states-during-covid-19-crisis-as-nonessential/. 

DeJong, Leanna, Micah Warners, and David Warners. "Converting Lawn to Restored Forest on a Midwest College Campus: A Seven Year Assessment of Herbaceous Plant Establishment." Restoration Ecology, vol. 29, no. 3, 2021, pp. 1-10.

Dorsey, J. W. (2010). Lawn control, lawn culture, and the social marketing of sustainable behaviors. Ecopsychology, 2(2), 91–103. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2009.0041

Feagan, R., & Ripmeester, M. (2001). Reading private green space: Competing geographic identities at the level of the lawn. Philosophy and Geography, 4(1), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903770124446

Gervais, Claire. “Now Is the Time to Think about Lawn Pesticides.” The Cap Times, 17 June 2021, captimes.com/opinion/column/claire-gervais-m-d-now-is-the-time-to-think- about-lawn-pesticides/article_a6f7c164-fa2a-5fc4-928e-9088b96a10a0.html. 

Gervais, Claire. “Should Parents Be Concerned about Their Kids and Lawn Chemicals?” UW Health, 7 June 2012, www.uwhealth.org/news/lawn-chemicals-and-kids-should- parents-be-concerned. 

Greenlee, Anne R., Tammy M. Ellis, and Richard L. Berg. "Low-Dose Agrochemicals and Lawn-Care Pesticides Induce Developmental Toxicity in Murine Preimplantation Embryos." Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 112, no. 6, 2004, pp. 703-709.

Jenkins, Virginia. The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1999. 

Kumar, S. "A Brief History of Lawns." *Westminster Lawn Landscape Supply Yard*, Westminster Lawn Service, 14 June 2013, www.westminsterlawn.com/brief- history-of-lawns/. 

Lewis, J. F. (2007). American Green: the obsessive quest for the perfect lawn. The Journal of Popular Culture, 40(1), 177–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00363.x

Marris, Emma. Handle with Care: How We Can Make Progress on Our Biggest Environmental Challenges without Losing Hope. Penguin Press, 2021

“Municipal Bylaw to Reduce Cosmetic/Non-Essential Pesticide Use on Household Lawns - a Policy Implementation Evaluation.” Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 74–90. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-10-74. 

National Center for Healthy Housing. “Pesticides.” National Center for Healthy Housing, https://nchh.org/information-and-evidence/learn-about-healthy-housing/health-hazards-prevention-and-solutions/pesticides/. 

Nishioka, Marcia G., et al. "Distribution of 2,4-D in Air and on Surfaces inside Residences after Lawn Applications: Comparing Exposure Estimates from Various Media for Young Children." Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 109, no. 11, 2001, pp. 1185-1191.

Pennington. “The History of the American Lawn.” Pennington, Central Garden & Pet Company,www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/the-history-of-the-american-lawn. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

Tukey, Paul. The Organic Lawn Care Manual: A Natural, Low-Maintenance System for a Beautiful, Safe Lawn. Storey Publishing, 2007.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Pesticides: Impact on Indoor Air Quality.” EPA, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/pesticides-impact-indoor-air-quality.  

Vivian, John. The Working Lawn. Lyons Press, 2002.

Sandberg, L. Anders, and Jennifer Foster. "Challenging Lawn and Order: Environmental Discourse and Lawn Care Reform in Canada." Environmental Communication, vol. 14, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-16.

Whitney, Kristoffer. Living Lawns, Dying Waters: The Suburban Boom, Nitrogenous Fertilizers, and the Nonpoint Source Pollution Dilemma. University of California Press, 2021.