Might be tough on bare feet

Spurge, begone. Dandelions, away. Leaders in the Orange County city of Garden Grove have voted to allow residents to rip out their lawns and install Astroturf-type artificial grass. We like that idea: Saves water, minimizes lawnmower fumes, and creates growth potential for carpeting companies and vacuum-cleaner sales. Accepted on a wide-scale basis, blotchy, uneven lawns would be a thing of the past. No more weeds, either.

Could we do that sort of thing in Bakersfield? Absolutely — we've got no ordinance specifically banning it.

Astroturf can be pretty tough on bare feet, though, and it gets hotter than good, ol' Bermuda grass. There's also the issue of creating a plasticized enviroment that we all might have fun debating. But it's something for California to think about. Water should be for drinking, farming and natural resources, with landscaping way, way down the list.