Sacramento: Back to Desert, or Lifting a Ban on Artificial Grass?

Sacramento Planning Commission is considering to lift a 1984 ban that prohibited to install artificial grass in the front yards. Due to the new California drought emergency water conservation regulations, state officials must take all necessary action to prepare for water shortages. Artificial grass is the alternative landscape option available to home and business owners today. In California cities, except Sacramento, rebates are offered by local water agencies to those who volunteer to tear off their water-thirsty lawns and turn them into a drought-tolerant landscape. But before the ban is lifted, Sacramento residents who installed synthetic lawns on their front yards can be fined by authorities.

Artificial grass technology in 1984 didn't allow natural, super-realistic look offered today. Synthetic turf back then was primarily used by sports industry. The initial 1984 ordinance was imposed to keep the aesthetics of the city intact. The time has changed. The artificial grass industry has evolved dramatically. Today, we have more than 75 artificial grass products intended for residential and commercial applications. We use more than a dozen unique technologies to replicate the feel and look of the natural grass. Synthetic lawns today look more alive, green and beautiful than regular lawns. Plus, they require no maintenance and reduce water usage by more than fifty percent for an average household.

The Planning and Design Commission of Sacramento is considering to set rules for front lawns fake grass as to require a pile height of grass to be not less than 1.25 inches. Samples of artificial grass and an installation guide will be presented this Thursday to the commission. If the proposal is approved this week, it will be sent to the consideration of City Council.

Most critics of fake lawns argue about fake grass with no factual prove at hand. A multitude of tests is done to every fake grass product sold in the United States. The only concern that were raised lately in the media is the artificial grass infill. Those concerns are aimed towards sports fields application, as rubber crumbs made of old tires are used on athletic fields to meet GMax Shock Attenuation Testing requirements. For landscape lawns, the infill solutions are simple. Zeofill (volcano ash), if you have pets or sand are 100% organic and safe.

For Sacramento residents, the lifting of an old ban means a new way to improve a curb-appeal of their properties while staying on top of 28 percent water cuts obligations. As the California drought continues, there is a serious choice for city authorities to make. Will Sacramento go back to its original desert look, or stay green no matter what forecast says?

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August 18, 2015 | Water Conservation, Water Conservation, Water Shortage, Water Shortage, California Water, California Water, California Drought, California Drought, Drought In California, Drought In California, Rebates, Rebates, Drought California, Drought California, Drought, Drought, California Water Crisis, California Water Crisis

Global Warming is Happening: Surviving Retirement

If you are retired and live on a fixed income, don't fall into a trap of ignoring the entire global warming concept. According to surveys, two-third of Americans believe in a scientists disagreement on the issue. You might be surprised, but today scientists agreement on climate change exceeds 99%. Global warming is happening. The consequences are terrifying.

Water deficiency leads to a farming crisis in the drought states. Did you know that 90 percent of the broccoli, distributed in the United States, is grown in California, along with 99% of artichokes, 99% of walnuts, 97% of kiwis, 97 % of plums, 95% of celery, 95% of garlic, 89% of cauliflower, 71% of spinach, and 69% of carrots (the list goes on)? There is no other state, or a combination of climate and soil can outmatch California's production per acre. Lemons and Spinach California's supply is 55 percent higher than in any other state. If California farming fails to meet demand, prices will sky-rocket across the country.

While Jerry Brown, the Governor of California, ordered mandatory water cuts for residents, agriculture was exempted from new rules, even though farms are the biggest water users. Not everyone likes this measure, but if you think of a bigger picture, agricultural exemption prevents food and vegetable prices to become volatile shortly. 25% water cuts in California during the state of historic drought means a different world where "we have to act differently", said Jerry Brown.

Changing lawns to a drought-tolerant landscape is the big step toward global warming survival. Cutting down an outdoor irrigation saves more than a half of water usages for an average household. As far as options for waterless landscape go, artificial grass installed in your front and backyard can save you gallons of water every day. Synthetic surfaces made by Global Syn-Turf can last twenty years or longer under standard residential use. It means water compliance with the state requirements and no maintenance fees. Artificial grass looks and feels better than semi-arid desert with concrete pavement, or a rock garden. If you have dogs, you don't have to worry about dust on your kitchen floor nor brown or dead spots of your lawn. The time of old astroturf that looks more like a short-fiber outdoor carpet is gone.

Today, we have more than 75 different types of fake grass that come in various colors, shades, heights and backing for any custom application. If you like to play golf, you can choose to transform your backyard into a tranquil golf course. If you have a dog, our pet turf is the cost-effective, environmentally friendly surface that allows any liquids including a dog urine to drain quickly through the backing leaving no smell and no residue behind.

In the last decade, artificial grass lawns became popular across the United States, not only in California, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico. Earlier, synthetic turf solutions were available only for commercial applications due to the high costs of material and installation, today we provide cost-effective solutions to homeowners and small businesses that can fit any budget and taste. Synthetic lawns significantly cut water bills and eliminate the need of lawn maintenance. If you are retired and getting ready to retire and keep you bills down, we suggest you to put artificial grass on your big investment list.

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August 14, 2015 | Water Conservation, Water Conservation, California Water, California Water, California Drought, California Drought, Energy Conservation, Energy Conservation, Saving Money, Saving Money, Drought In California, Drought In California, How To Save Money, How To Save Money, Drought California, Drought California, Drought, Drought

Yes, You Can Put Up That Artificial Grass

Question: The homeowner's association in my "planned community" does not allow artificial grass in my yard. What are my options?

Answer: You should point the administration of your HOA to a new extension AB 349 of the bill AB 2104 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. AB 2104 required a common interest developments to adopt a updated model ordinance regarding water-efficient landscapes that are effective in conserving water. New assembly bill AB 349 prohibits HOAs impose a fine or assessment on separate interest owners for use of artificial grass or any other synthetic surface that resembles grass, unless your homeowner association uses recycled water for landscape irrigation.

"We face a very real water shortage that challenges many of our old habits, and there's nothing fake about our responsibility to find ways to conserve wherever we can," Gonzalez said. "All Californians have tough benchmarks for reducing their water use, and it's our job to make sure homeowners have every opportunity to achieve the conservation we need."

At the time of California historic drought, this act is an urgency statue shall go into immediate effect. Numerous homeowner associations discriminated and fined homeowners who attempted to replace their water-thirsty lawns with synthetic grass.

Morrison Ranch Estates Homeowners' Association fined Agoura Hills homeowner, Greg Greenstein who replaced the grass on his property with artificial grass in his effort to conserve water, with more than $4,000 and demanded to remove the new lawn.

Rancho Pacifica, a gated community of multimillion-dollar homes in the hills east of Del Mar, prohibited a retired couple, Brian and Frances Holloway, who live in a palatial 9,000-square-foot Mediterranean to get rid of the water- sucking front lawn. They fine them $50 per day until the lawn removal.

La Costa Valley HOA, Carlsbad, CA turned down Val Buonaiuto, who planned to install artificial grass in his front yard.

In Carlsbad, California James Zemel installed synthetic lawns in his front and backyards. According to LAtimes he spent $14,000, and his monthly bill has dropped to $38. His water district sent him a thank you letter for his conservation effort. However, his HOA has demanded to remove the grass from his front yard, and threaten him with fines and legal action.

Las Costa Green HOA is one of the few in San Diego County that allows fake grass on front lawns. Its resident, Rocky Wilson, grandfathered synthetic grass installation in his home, in 2006.

The first bill didn't include artificial grass as a part of the water-efficient landscape. Gonzales said she held back because of Brown's past opposition to protections. In 2011, the governor said individual HOAs should make the decision, not state government. Residents outside of homeowners associations are free to install fake grass with few, if any, restrictions. But in 2015, California found itself in the fourth year of severe and potentially devastating drought.

Landscape irrigation, according to the Department of Water Resources draws 43 percent of residential water use. The installation of artificial grass, instead of traditional landscapes and lawns, can directly decrease outdoor water use to support the Governor's mandated 25-percent statewide water use reduction.

During the state of emergency, declared by Jerry Brown on July 1, 2015, homeowners associations are prohibited to fine and discriminated the members who are installing artificial grass on their front lawns. Throughout California, homeowners are subject to strict water conservation ordinances. While in the middle of a water deficiency crisis, homeowner associations are not allowing members to perform deliberate sacrifices and are still forcing them to keep grass lawns, and fining them. AB 349 ensures that all homeowners have the right to conserve water by replacing grass with artificial turf.

The bill stated that "Property owners who pursue water conservation should be encouraged, not sued or fined. Thus, this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety."

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August 10, 2015 | Water Conservation, Water Conservation, California Drought, California Drought, Drought California, Drought California, Drought, Drought, Drought In California, Drought In California

Jon Stewart References California as a Jurassic World But This Time... BOOM! Everything Went Horribly Wrong.

The "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart has his own idea of how to solve the California Drought issue.

"First, as you know, California goes through historic unprecedented dry spell. " - says Jon Stewart at Thursday's Daily Show. "We are talking about original movie ideas. BOOM! Take that Jurassic world. Hey, what if they build another dinosaur theme park, but this time things also went horribly wrong."

Check Out The Daily Show With Jon Stewart http://www.hulu.com/watch/803181

Then, Stewart explains why there is a little hope for Californians to avoid the consequences of the drought: "I am talking about the catastrophic four-year drought. Californian's reservoirs are empty. The snow pack is gone. What little water remains in control of ruthless, disfigured warlord, doling out precious moisture from his mountain stronghold" (referencing this year blockbuster hit Mad Max.)

In the next clip, Stewart demonstrates, is an image of Immortan Joe, the lord of the Citadel (the place that beholds the water supply) in Mad Max, and states "Wow, Jerry Brown has not aged well."

"I am just kidding, " - says Stewart. "Jerry Brown didn't age at all. He is still good old governor, putting a water scarcity issue in terms that anyone on "shrooms" can understand. "

In the next clip presents the Jerry Brown quotes: "Someone will call water a right. Someone will call water an essence of life. Water is a baptism. Water is a poetry."

Jon Stewart seems to have a hard time to agree with a poetic associations of the governor of California. He says: "Roses are read. Violets are blue. Can I wash my f#* wash car or not?"

Can California conserve enough water to support life in the state? Stewart thinks there is time to get on top of the disaster: "California instituted mandatory water restrictions. They are tempting to get overall water usage down to 25 percent, obviously not including agriculture which is most of the water usage. But right now, usage is only down 9 percent, so it is time to get real."

As we know, apart from the state government ideas to desalinate the water from the ocean, which will inevitably increase the cost of water five times or more, and the latest plan of Jerry Brown to build two tunnels to divert water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the south, the water recycling plan sounds more realistic as now. Some Southern California communities are using the recycled water, and it works well for them and the environment. But what do people think of this alternative?

"This 620 million dollar water recycling plant turns treated sewage from the sanitation department next door into drinkable water. The water that comes out is cleaner than most tap water in the country. It's officially called "Indirect potable reuse", but it's more descriptively known as toilet-to-tap."

It is easier to say from the East Coast location, where the Daily Show is filmed, but Stewart is more open-minded than most of us. He says: " It's known as toilet-to-tap, but there are steps in between. You are not just sticking a drinking straw in somebody's ass. There is a process it goes through. But, obviously, thanks to the name toilet-to-tap, people tends to react to this God-sent drought solution like this."

What do people think about the recycled water? Or, rather, how do they feel about it?

"That's dirty. That's nasty."

"It's kind of disgusting."

"Yucky factor."

"Major icky and gross factor."

Gayle King is not an exception: "Of course when you how it is done, it's just a graphic in my mind - what I've seen in the toilet it's scary."

"Californians! If you want to buy something you don't call it what it's really is. You have to spice it up a little bit. Like, porn. You think the Valley would have porn, if porn were renamed "Sad Romanians. F*# for money?" - asks Stewart.

Snitching, according to Stewart, is a "far more renewable resource" of water conservation than technologies to recycle water. He mentions that some water agencies in California launched the app for people to report water wasters.

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June 15, 2015 | Water Conservation, Water Conservation, California Water, California Water, California Drought, California Drought, Drought In California, Drought In California, Drought California, Drought California, Drought, Drought, Water Scarcity, Water Scarcity

How Do You Feel About California's Water Restrictions?

Al Madrigal, L.A. resident, wasn't in mood to discuss California drought with Jon Stewart.

"I'm sick of it," - he says. "Back home it's all we talk about. We use to go to dinner and discuss movies. Which stars are secretly gays. But now it's just - "How long was your shower. Did you use a backet? Hey, that's a guy whose lawn is green. Call the cops! "

Man, it feels good! I am taking an advantage of your unregulated East Coast Water-topia! Man, it feels good!

Jon, I have to get it out of my system before I go home and slip the recycled toilet water.

I haven't wasted water like this in years!

I am going to paint this town wet, Jon!

Named Best Stand-Up Comedian by the HBO/U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Al Madrigal's comedy has been called "dynamic" by The New York Times. His unique, spontaneous and fast-paced lyrical storytelling style has made him a regular on television with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including his own half-hour Comedy Central Presents Special and appearances on John Oliver's New York Stand-up Show and Pretend Time with Nick Swardson. Al has also appeared with Conan O'Brien (as one of the first 20 guests during his stint as host of "The Tonight Show," and on "Conan" on TBS) as well as multiple appearances on ""Lopez Tonight," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

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June 11, 2015 | California Water, California Water, California Drought, California Drought, Drought In California, Drought In California, Drought California, Drought California, Drought, Drought, Water Scarcity, Water Scarcity

New Silicon Valley's Future - Drinking Out Of The Toilet

What wouldn't you do in the face of California Drought? San Jose's and Santa Clara's mayors took big gulps of filtered sewage water on Monday, April 28. Good stuff? Ouch.

Disinfected and purified water from the sewage has been used since 1997 in Silicon Valley for the landscaping irrigation and industrial purposes.

New Advanced Water Purification Center in Alviso opened in July 2015, take previously filtered water to a new level, cleans it with microfilters, ultraviolet light and reverse osmosis. The outcome is generally distilled water. After five years of nowhere near sufficient rain, Californians are questioning where else to find water, and it often comes to the question about the desalination.

The cost of water that comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is $400 an acre-foot. Filter sewage water will cost $1,100 - $1,500, and the desalination brings the price up to $3,000. Silicon Valley political leaders propose to almost triple the use of purified water from twenty thousand acre-feet a year to fifty-five thousand, which covers twenty percent of the country's total water demand by 2025.

They hope to get by the California Environmental Quality Act using an exemption from CEQA under an executive Gov. Jerry Brown's mandate issued April 1. The $800 million finance for this project could be funded with state bond money and federal funds. But to the homeowners it still means increased water rates. While Silicon Valley is facing the future of drinking out the toilet for the double price, it might be a good time for us to make less dramatic steps. For example, replace natural turf with artificial.

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April 28, 2015 | Water Conservation, Water Conservation, California Drought, California Drought, Drought In California, Drought In California

Global Syn-Turf at Watersavers Irrigation's Demo Day

Global Syn-Turf, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of artificial grass, participated in Watersavers Irrigation's Demo Day on April 3rd. The event took place at one of Watersavers Irrigation's warehouse stores. More than 100 Northern California irrigation and green industry professionals and consumers attended the event to test out the latest irrigation systems and landscaping supplies, and listen to presentations from top supply manufacturers.

"We've been selling artificial grass products for years now, so even before the event we had established ourselves in the region," said Rachel Brady, Global Syn-Turf's sales and marketing manager. "However, ever since California's water crisis, and now Jerry Brown's announcement of mandatory water restrictions, we've become the definitive regional experts on artificial grass in California. We're receiving an unprecedented amount of interest from local contractors and municipalities who want to test our products."

With more than 95 gallons of water per day wasted on outdoor uses per household, consumers, contractors and dealers stand to benefit from artificial grass's advantages. According to ms. Brady, Global Syn-Turf has the power to fundamentally transform the culture of the irrigation and green industries by making it easy for people to have a perfectly lush, verdant lawn without consuming precious resources.

The Global Syn-Turf team was on hand at the event to present the company's latest artificial grass innovations, such as Cashmere, an artificial grass product whose softness and flexibility is unmatched in the industry.

The Demo Day featured a number of different products and ideas from companies across the industry, ranging from efficient irrigation techniques to drought-tolerant landscaping alternatives. And since Demo Days are open to the public, the event was able to connect consumers with professional suppliers and distributors who share an interest in water-wise landscaping and irrigation.

"It was an honor to represent the artificial grass community at this event," said Rachel Brady. "As a wholesale manufacturer, having the chance to interact with the end-user face-to-face is quite special. It was a tremendous opportunity for our staff to meet people and companies in the landscape and irrigation ecosystem. We hope it will serve as a model for other events in the future."

This announcement comes at an exciting time for the young company, which was founded in 2009. In March 2015 the company was selected for the prestigious Best of Hayward Award in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category for 2015. Furthermore, earlier this month Global Syn-Turf participated in the Carmel Valley Garden Show in Carmel Valley, California, representing the artificial grass industry in Northern California.

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