Artificial Grass - A Cause for Concern

Once sold as the answer to all our lawn problems during the drought at the turn of the century, the use of artificial grass is making a U-turn. This session will start with a talk by John Englart, an local citizen journalist, photojournalist and campaigner at  Merri Bek Climate Action and finish with a workshop to write a position paper for Moonee Valley Sustainability on the use of this material in our community.  The 30 minute talk will cover - 

• What is wrong with Artificial turf especially in terms of human and environment health.
• How the lack of wider nowledge and old policies make it still a popular choice for many.
• What are its key selling point and how some of them are wrong
• The sneaky maneuvers on the political field which are enabling its installation in our communities open spaces
• What's happening elsewhere, locally and further afield
• Initiatives and other groups who are working in this area and who can help 

The 30 minute workshop will discuss and record - 

• What should MVSs position be on the use of Artificial Turf in our community - On sports fields, on public land, on nature strips and on private land?
• What should MVS prioritise in stopping the spread of artificial grass in our community and how can you help?