July 6, 2008
Smokin'-Hot Grass in City Parks Could Get You Burned
The artificial turf being used to replace natural grass in NYC parks has been pointed out as a source of unhealthful emissions, but it's also just plain hot. The Daily News dispatched reporters with thermometers to five City parks with artificial grass and found that urban athletes had more to fear than ill-fitting footwear when it comes to blistered feet.
Over two mildly warm days last month, The News took surface temperature readings at five synthetic fields across the city accompanied by NYC Park Advocates, a group that has been critical of the fake grass.Advocates insist that artificial turf poses no health risks, although some are suspected due to chemicals emitted when the surfaces are heated. New York City has installed 77 of the fields since 2002, replacing both natural grass and improving paved lots. Proponents say that the artificial surfaces are a budget-saving asset, although the math on the investment seems rather long-term. First deputy parks commissioner Liam Kavanaugh seemed sanguine about the prospect of scalding playing fields in the parks: "The temperatures can get very high during the heat of the day. But people are smart. They are not going to use a place that is uncomfortable to play on."At all five, temperatures at the synthetic fields soared roughly twice as high as at nearby natural grass ones, from a low of 144 degrees at the Greenbelt Recreation Center on Staten Island to a scorching 162 at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens.
South Oxford Park, Earth Day 2007, by j_bary at flickr
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Where'd they get the stupid idea to astro turf the parks anyway? Is someone in the parks department selling it?
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"The temperatures can get very high during the heat of the day. But people are smart. They are not going to use a place that is uncomfortable to play on."
So the alternative is to...not play on the lawns? We're just supposed to look at the fields from a distance? What's the point of even having them, then?
It IS a stupid idea. What happened to "greening" the city, Mayor Bloomberg? Instead you've left us with freaky fake grass than we can't run around and play games on because if we fall down we'll SINGE OUR FLESH. Oh, and never mind picnics, the weird chemical substance is too hot to sit on...
*cough* Kick-backs.
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Are they planning on putting in a dome too?
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Spiny said it. The "simple" answer to not use the field is THE MOST RETARDED ONE. Who the f*ck gave Liam Kavanaugh a job and why isn't it cleaning toilets? Or did he put plastic grass in there, too?
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"The temperatures can get very high during the heat of the day. But people are smart. They are not going to use a place that is uncomfortable to play on."
If you play in a soccer or softball league, and are scheduled to play at one of these turf fields, your choice is to play there or quit.
I have played on some of these fields, and the players I spoke to like them only because they are better than playing on what used to be there: neglected dust bowls or concrete.
Most athletes agree that the best playing fields are on natural grass, like they have in Central Park. Could you imagine if they put fake grass on a bed of recycled rubber on the Great Lawn of Central Park?
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Wait wait wait, back up. Who's retarded idea was it to astroturf the parks?!? There's no need for further discussion on this. That's the weirdest, stupidest thing I've heard of in a long time.