Dear Menlo Park City Council,

I understand that the city is considering replacing a grass field at
Encinal with artificial turf. Although I'm sure there are good
intentions behind this proposal (perhaps the cost of maintenance is
lower, fewer rained out games for the kids, etc), I urge you to
reject artificial turf in Menlo Park.

How can the city be considering this proposal at the same time it
claims to be pursuing a Greener approach? Even if one could argue
that the CO2 emissions from the lawn mowers are harmful, and grass
requires the use of sometimes scarce water (and, potentially,
fertilizer), grass is fundamentally much better for the environment
than artificial turf: like other green plants, it helps reduce
greenhouse gasses, providing us with fresh air, and it provides a
home for wildlife, not to mention the fact that the big pile of
artificial turf has to be disposed of when it wears out in the not
very distant future. I'm particularly concerned about the
implications for local wildlife, having heard that the Encinal field
is part of a western bluebird rehabilitation program. Finally, grass
-- and when there's a drought, dirt -- is also better for children to
play on than artificial turf. Have you ever fallen down on artificial
turf? It hurts.

Thank you for taking the time to read my comments. I hope you will
take them into consideration when this issue comes before the city
and school district.

Sincerely yours,

Alaina Sloo
1143 Woodland Ave, Menlo Park CA
Received on Mon Apr 2 17:50:38 2007