Researchers say there are 63,000 square miles of lawn in the United States, “an area three times larger than any irrigated crop” and about the size of Texas, according to a piece in Fusion. The article draws on a study that included NASA and focused on environmental effects. “The researchers found that well manicured lawns can act as carbon sinks – meaning they would help mitigate climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” writes Rob Wile. But the benefits can be reduced by up to 35 percent when the impact of fertilizer and lawn mowing equipment is considered. In many regions, half to three-quarters of residential water is used in lawn care.
By the way, 63,000 square miles is 40.3 million acres.