Take care of your yard, take care of the planet

I moved to Boulder in 1985. The general population truly cared for the environment. I feel ashamed at Boulder today. Most of the population considers themselves an environmentalist.

But looking around, most homes seem seriously neglected. Plenty of money spent remodeling the interior, but the exterior, what a mess! Trash lies in the yard for weeks until the next rain or windstorm takes it away. Landscaping consists of obnoxious weeds flowering, scrub trees reaching to the sky. Do you know what this does for the environment? I believe it decimates it. Take time each week to pull weeds, mow, pick up trash. The internet can help identify weeds.

Some houses attempt to pass off three-foot weed fields as a lawn. I witness the irrigation dutifully run each and every morning. Even multiple times! Weeds do not need water. They remain green, flower and then seed into thousands of new plants in the most extreme droughts.

Air conditioning runs day and night. It takes a small effort to open the windows in the evening and close them in the morning. Coming home to an 80-degree house can take a bit to get used to. Be strong!

And please, do not idle your car to charge your telephone and run the A/C. It kills insects and landscaping, pollutes enormously, and the stench! Cozy up at stoplights to allow for the greatest number of cars to make the light.

I know, there are things you’d rather do. Chores are a pain. Boulder builds townhomes and condominiums at an ever-quickening pace to serve your nochore needs.

Take care of our struggling environment.

— Michelle Jung, Boulder