Lawns, Fine Print, Virginity, and 9 Other Things the World Should Get Rid Of

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I have conceded defeat on the quest for a perfect, weed-free lawn, and apparently I am not alone.

Should the imperfect lawn movement be taken one step further by ridding the world of lawns entirely? That’s what Ed Begley Jr. argues. Instead of a lawn, he has a yard filled with native plants that require very little water, and no chemicals. It’s an inexpensive, environmentally friendly alternative to classic, handsome but costly and high-maintenance grass.

Begley makes his case as part of an interesting Washington Post series, Spring Cleaning: 12 Things the World Should Toss Out.

Included in the list is a suggestion from Elizabeth Warren, the visionary of the as-yet-nonexistent consumer financial protection agency, who wants to get rid of fine print. And wouldn’t the world be a nicer, less-headache-y place if you didn’t need a magnifying glass every time you bought a home, or even a hair dryer?

If Karl Rove had his way, there would be no more exit polls. And Jessica Valenti, of Feministing.com, thinks we’d all be better off without virginity—or at least the old-fashioned concept of it being some indication of purity.

Related:
In the Future: No More … Well, No More Lots of Things