Here in this town of excessive wind and dryness, we have been blessed for the past few days with soaking rains. Much of the world is currently experiencing severe drought so I am deeply grateful for this unexpected blessing. Sadly, much of it will go to waste as it runs down storm drains, carrying with it voluminous amounts of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. I am certain that the few trees around here will appreciate the much needed moisture. Many of them have already suffered untold damage from drought, coupled with snowstorms and wind, in years gone by.
Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Montana are under severe drought at this time. So are many parts of Europe, India, and China. There was a report in the news that parts of France, while restricting residents from watering gardens and other “non-essential” water use, has allowed exemptions for golf courses. Why are the rich and powerful allowed to ignore, and flat out deny, the climate crises that we are facing? A group called Extinction Rebellion Toulouse filled the holes in one golf course with cement, to protest the shameful waste of precious water.
A typical golf course consumes an average of 130,000 gallons of water per day. That is more than 2 billion gallons per day in the United States alone! An average of 8 different pesticides are routinely applied to golf courses. Up to 6 pounds of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of grass and trees is used. The herbicide paraquat has been widely used in golf courses since the 1960’s. It is also used in parks, recreational areas, and in agriculture. It is highly poisonous and it is a leading cause of asthma, lung scarring, and kidney failure.
Several years ago it was suggested to me that I might want to go golfing in order to spend some time in nature. I had to laugh since I was already working outside in nature everyday, taking care of swans and gardening. There is no nature in golf courses! The wildlife – including butterflies and other insects – have all been killed off or chased away. Most birds avoid golf courses since they offer no food (insects and seeds) for them.
Nearly all of our human forms of recreation are a form of passive aggression towards other species. We are abhorred by the killing of a human being or even a dog, but we take no notice of the continual demise of other life forms or the profuse waste of our natural resources. How much longer will we continue to allow the ignorance and selfishness of the wealthy, to wantonly destroy the life that we all depend on?
