Attended the "Water Showcase" recently, hosted by PG&E in San Francisco. Quite the popular event as there was a good line of people waiting to get in before they opened the doors.
There were lots of exhibitors, showing how their wares would help save water or make watering your landscape easier or how solar heating of water can be setup. And the presentations were also well attended.
Why do we have lawns? In much of the USA, it is expected that homes shall be landscaped with lawns in front and back. The idea of lawns seems to come from royal estates in Europe that had the money and manpower and acreage to contain large expanses of manicured grass. It was a place to relax or sometimes march army squads for review and inspection or maybe it was a hunting green or play area. Large lawn space also became popular as common grounds for other formal and informal gatherings; to have political discourse or hear music or enjoy picnics.
