By Lynn Capuano

About two months ago I wrote about toilet paper and explained how the Canadian boreal forests are being cut down to supply this essential product. I explained how toilet paper made from recycled paper is a better alternative. I seem to have struck a nerve with people as I got more feedback from that column than from any other column I’ve written.

I asked people who spoke to me about the column why it triggered a response. I learned that it hit a nerve in part because of its universal application – everyone uses toilet paper. In this country at least there’s no way around it. We use toilet paper when we go to the bathroom. I also learned that it didn’t feel burdensome to people to switch to a toilet paper brand that uses recycled paper. It seemed, people felt like it was just a matter of making a different selection from the shelf and, as long as the preferred product was available and not notably more expensive, why not make the switch?

I propose that if you are willing to change your toilet paper to a more environmentally friendly alternative, then you may be willing to make other changes. In light of this, I offer some more simple choices we can make that can have important impact, similar to our choice to use toilet paper made from recycled paper. And as it is spring and things are turning green, I will begin with the choices we can make regarding our outdoor spaces, whether our yards or our parks.

For anyone who takes care of a grassy area whether at home, in a park or a field, the choice I propose is to leave it alone. This is even easier than changing your toilet paper. Literally, do nothing to the grass other than to occasionally mow it or have it mowed. Do not water it, do not feed it any fertilizer (not even lime), do not do anything. When it is mowed, be sure to leave it a bit longer than you might have done in the past – at least 2.5 to 3 inches is recommended for better grass health.

By doing nothing, you will be doing a great deal for our environment. You will avoid contaminating our groundwater with the chemical fertilizer and pesticides you once applied to your lawn. These chemicals seep into the ground and make their way to our drinking water supply. We then need to spend tax dollars and energy to clean the chemicals out of the water so that it is safe to drink.

Even though we may be able to clean the chemicals from the drinking water, they have already done their damage by harming all of the life in the soil and around the grass. This is life that is critical to our well-being. The insects and bacteria living in the soil help hold carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it contributes to climate change. They provide food to other living things. They keep the soil alive and healthy and able to support plant growth. Instead of allowing nature to do what it is well-equipped to do, we use chemicals to do its work. So, do nothing to your grass this season and see how well nature can feed the grass, provide water for the grass and support its growth.

If you do nothing to your grass this year, you will also avoid contaminating our wastewater with chemicals and so reduce the amount of energy consumed to treat that contaminated water before it is released into the Long Island Sound. You will increase the amount of rainwater retained by your yard by leaving the grass a bit taller and able to absorb more water. You will attract a bevy of beneficial insects, including butterflies seeking food and shelter. You may even be lucky enough to attract some of the rabbits that roam our area should they find that your yard now offers them some food and not poison. And there will be more birds as the soil below the grass regains its health and the worms, millipedes and other insects return and provide food for the birds.

I challenge you to try it for a few weeks and see if you truly notice any difference in the quality and appearance of your lawn. Your pocketbook may also appreciate the break from having to pay for all those treatments you once applied to the lawn.

It’s time we each take another small step to improve our relationship with our environment. All these small steps accumulate to have a significant impact. Don’t stop with toilet paper. Pick what’s next for you – whether it is doing nothing for your lawn OR reducing your plastic purchasing by one item OR starting to compost OR walking instead of driving OR having one less meat-based meal a week.

You can do it. After all, you switched your toilet paper.