{"id":5015,"date":"2026-02-25T07:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T08:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=5015"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:54:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:54:45","slug":"classic-sustainability-in-your-ear-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/classic-sustainability-in-your-ear-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute\u2019s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute<\/a> in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and other cellular diseases<\/a>. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind \u2014 a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Rob Moir, Ph.D., president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute, is our guest on Sustainability in Your Ear<\/i>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge<\/a>. You don\u2019t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at\u00a0www.oceanriver.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:<\/p>\n