Dr. Joseph Dorsey of the University of South Florida has been an outspoken and influential voice at the intersection of alternative lawn and horticultural options at the intersection of ecology and environmental justice. After discovering both of his journals,  Lawn Control, Lawn Culture, and the Social Marketing of Sustainable Behaviors and Lawns as Symbols of American Values: Is it Time for A Change?

          We reached out for an interview, where he was able to expand upon the socio-cultural-anthropological aspects of lawns. He talks about how lawns are rooted in monarchy, sophistication, classism, and white supremacy as the propagation of a fruitless crop. The use of certain chemicals and nutrients creates algal blooms, dead zones, pollution, and detriment to the ecology and human health, especially in downstream or less affluent communities. The main social mechanisms that have lawns remain so pervasive amongst so many are the “peer pressures” of a pristine lawn. HOAs, (social consequences) and property values (financial consequences) are also heavily tied into this dynamic.

          Dr. Dorsey also talked about a plethora of alternatives such as food forests, xeriscaping, urban forests, vertical lawns, and brownfields, especially in relation to climate change and as acts of “restorative environmental justice.” He also outlines activism, advocacy, and stewardship (“doing the right thing when nobody’s watching”). While there is a lot of discourse around both of these issues separately, there is limited discussion around the matters of lawn, horticulture, and environmental justice. He also adds a refreshing and realistic approach to inciting social change for an environmental perspective.