After almost 20 years of being up to my chubby white butt in golf and lawn care pesticide issues, I’m pretty much past being surprised by the tactics of antichemical activists. I’ve seen misinformation, disinformation and outright lies from granola-eaters, self-appointed do-gooders, vote-hungry political hacks and agenda-driven pseudo-scientists. I finally concluded pesticide use is, to a lesser extent, like smoking, school prayer and abortion: an issue that inspires a small group of generally well-intentioned people to do practically anything to impose their beliefs on the rest of us.
So, when I opened my copy of Cleveland’s Plain Dealer this morning, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see an article about Ted Steinberg, Ph.D., author of “American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn.” The book’s been out for a while and Steinberg has a local connection (he’s a professor at Case Western Reserve University), so it was only a matter of time before the topic popped up in the paper. (See more here.)
My first thought was, “Here we go again.” But, as I read the piece, I was caught off guard by the guy’s attitude. He seems a bit quirky and professorial, but isn’t patently antipesticide. His main argument is that intensely maintained lawns are economically stupid. I checked out his resume online, and he is by no means a scientific shyster. He has serious degrees from good schools and has studied and written about a variety of environmental and societal issues besides pesticides. In the article, he shows the reporter another suburban lawn in his Shaker Heights, Ohio, neighborhood. The lawn is bentgrass, and it’s maintained at fairway height. It’s pretty hard for anyone to argue that’s not obsessive and economically ridiculous for the average person.
In short, this is the kind of person who could be our industry’s worst nightmare: a legitimate academic type who doesn’t seem to have an agenda.
Frankly, it’s a helluva lot easier to counter a rabidly antichemical activist in a tie-dyed PETA T-shirt and hemp sandals than a tweedy, bearded academic with a good sense of humor. Right or wrong on the merits of his arguments, he’s a legitimate thinker, and this book will be cited and used against the green industry by local environmental groups throughout the country for years to come.
Given the war, the economy and other real problems, pesticide use on golf courses and lawns certainly isn’t at the top of the government’s priority list right now. But, with inspiration from the success of Canadian pesticide bans, the local fire-fights will continue. Anyone in our industry who assumes that “it can’t happen here” is kidding themselves. As obsessed as Americans are with perfect lawns and perfect golf courses, there are others who are obsessed with preventing that. Ted Steinberg might not be among them, but he’s a hero to those who are. GCN
Pat Jones is the president of Flagstick LLC. He can be reached at psjhawk@cox.net.
