Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/517431
6 JUNE 2015 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com EPG Media & Specialty Information 3300 Fernbrook Lane N, Suite 200 Plymouth, MN 55447 OPE STAFF Group Publisher David Voll Associate Publisher John Kmitta Editor Steve Noe Art Director Brian Snook Senior Production Manager Karen Kalinyak DIRECT MAIL LIST SALES MeritDirect, Jim Scova, (914) 368-1012; e-mail jscova@MeritDirect.com REPRINT SERVICE Joanne Juda, Sr. VP Market Development (630) 399-9864; email jjuda@specialtyim.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Former Executive Director, EETC (retired) Jim Roche Senior Advisor, Servantage Dixie Sales Jim Starmer President, Plano Power Equipment Glen Whitt Director of Sales and Marketing, Central Power Distributors, Inc. John D. Hedges CIRCULATION For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (847) 763-9565 or fax (847) 763-9569 business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the valid- ity of advertising claims in connection with items appearing in Outdoor Power Equipment. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorsement by Outdoor Power Equipment or EPG Media & Specialty Information, or preference over similar products not mentioned. EDITORIAL OFFICES EPG Media/Specialty Information Media 3300 Fernbrook Lane N, Suite 200 Plymouth, MN 55447 ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES: EAST Chris Pelikan Senior Account Manager Phone: (954) 964-8676 cpelikan@epgmediallc.com MIDWEST Peggy Tupper Senior Account Manager Phone: (763) 383-4429 ptupper@epgmediallc.com WEST Leslie Palmer Senior Account Manager Phone: (248) 731-7596 lpalmer@specialtyim.com In an effort to raise public awareness regarding the many environmental and health benefits of natural grass, The Lawn Institute and the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) recently issued a press release with fun facts about natural grass lawns. I found these facts to be fascinating and thought they would be worth sharing with you to pass along to your customers. These facts included: The Lawn Institute estimates that the United States has more than 31 million acres of managed grass — which equates to more than 50,000 square miles — with more than 60 percent of it found in lawns. A healthy 10,000-square-foot lawn can absorb more than 6,000 gallons of rain- water without noticeable runoff. One acre of grass can absorb and assimilate hundreds of pounds of sulfur dioxide created by automobile exhaust. (In addition, the press release points out that grass and all other green plants absorb car- bon dioxide and give off oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. This is one of the main processes that remove carbon dioxide, one of the main "greenhouse gases," from the air. More importantly, it is the only natural process that produces the oxygen we breathe in the air.) A home landscape is an important oxygen producer just by itself. A 50-foot by 50-foot area can produce enough oxygen to sustain a family of four. The trees and grass along the U.S. interstate highway system release enough oxygen to support an estimated 22 million people annually. If people recycle grass clippings, leav- ing them to decompose on the lawn, the U.S. lawn area could store up to 16.7 teragrams of carbon each year. That's equivalent to about 37 billion pounds or the weight of approxi- mately 147,000 blue whales. A well-maintained lawn and land- scape keeps a home significantly cooler by reducing surface temperatures by 30-40 degrees compared to bare soil and by 50-70 degrees versus streets and sidewalks. Researchers have estimated that an average home landscape provides the cooling effect equivalent to 10 tons of air conditioning, compared to the 3- to 4-ton capacity of the average air-conditioning unit. As the press release concludes, "Hasty decisions regarding the removal of turfgrass and lawns without fully understanding and appreciating the environmental benefits they offer may be a disservice, not only to all of us, but to future generations as well." To learn more fun facts and other infor- mation about natural grass lawns, visit www.thelawninstitute.org. Fun and fascinating facts about natural grass lawns UPFRONT Editor Steve Noe | snoe@specialtyim.com OPE