It's often difficult to pinpoint the negative environmental effects of individual applications of chemicals but that hardly means there aren't any. The Planning Commission might want to go on record asking for maximum restraint in applying chemicals on the Jefferson Park Golf Course. Lawns are useful in areas where people walk and stroll and picnic and play catch. Lawns are needed for the game of golf, but this is one of several reasons I personally oppose the subsidization of golf by any government. But aside from these uses of lawn, many areas are turned into lawn because lawn has been the default button for land use since the invention of the Toro.
Lawn mowers provide the non-thinking answer to every landscaping question.
Even the Amish make an exception to their rule against motorized things and allow the use of the sacred lawn mower. We on the Planning Commission can help as people are now breaking out of this straitjacket. Water is important to insect life and wildlife, but it is scarce in the urban landscape. Cities have been robbed of their streams, wetlands and seasonal ponds. On Beacon Hill's Maple Park two potentially beautiful seasonal ponds are drained away by pipes.