The battle over fake grass is very real

There’s nothing artificial about the controversy that’s growing among homeowners, educators, doctors and sports administrators over fake grass.
The artificial turf market is projected to nearly double in the U.S. by next year. Sports facilities are installing 1,500 new turf fields each year, with over 20,000 such fields around the country, according to the EPA.
Where I live in Central California, local high schools and colleges have essentially given up on grass. Million-dollar artificial football, baseball and soccer fields have been installed at eight schools just the last two years. Homeowners — including the woman who lives across the street from me — installed artificial lawns as water bills soared. In my neighborhood, watering an average lawn in the summer costs over $1,000 per month.
Some chemicals in the rubber base of synthetic turf, such as bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, can leach out during extreme heat. These chemicals have been linked to various chronic diseases including cancers, diabetes and neurological impairments. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill allowing cities and counties to ban artificial turf. Some California cities have already begun moving to prohibit fake lawns, including Millbrae in San Mateo County and San Marino in Los Angeles County.
The East Coast has led the way on anti-artificial turf legislation. New York state has placed a moratorium on new turf while Boston and several other communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut have enacted bans or severe restrictions. Many of the efforts have been driven by revelations surrounding the risk factors of chemicals associated with plastics like those used in fake grass.

Maintaining artificial turf sometimes costs more than the upkeep of natural grass. According to an Los Angeles Times report, “Naturally occurring organisms in soil break down much of what ends up on a grass field, including all kinds of human and animal bodily fluids. When the field is a plastic carpet, those systems can’t work, necessitating regular cleaning with a cleansing agent and a substantial amount of water. The infill component that cushions the turf must be combed, cleaned and replaced regularly as well. As the field ages, this work only increases.”
The NFL’s handling of artificial turf highlights the divided opinion on the issue. Of the league’s 30 stadiums, 15 have artificial surfaces, 13 have natural grass and two have a hybrid mix. As The Wall Street Journal noted in 2023, “NFL players have long said they prefer natural grass for both comfort and safety.” Pro players are focused primarily on leg injuries that critics say happen more frequently on synthetic surfaces; the high school debate centers more on health concerns involving leached chemicals.
Underscoring the vexing nature of the controversy: Artificial turf retains heat so readily that on-field temperatures are sometimes 10 or more degrees higher than the surrounding area. And what’s the best way to lower the temperature? By watering the surface, utilizing the very resource that proponents of artificial turf are seeking to preserve.
We ought to rethink our rush to cover too much of the landscape in plastic. Our fields of dreams shouldn’t be economically-rooted fields of schemes.

Copyright 2025 Peter Funt distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.