An open letter to the San Francisco Giants:
The San Francisco Giants should lead with green and environment-friendly policies
• • • • • • • • • • March 2025 • • • • • • • • • •
Thank you for helping to fund the renovation of playing fields at Crocker Amazon. This letter asks the Giants to reconsider the plans for artificial turf and use natural turf instead. Please don’t use artificial turf in the proposed renovation of the Crocker Amazon playing fields: plastic grass should not be used in our playing fields and playgrounds. We should use natural grass turf. The San Francisco Giants should lead with green and environment-friendly policies.
Plastic grass (synthetic turf) is subject to high temperatures; it is scratched and degraded from use, and it deteriorates over time due to exposure to the elements. Such surfaces continually release micro-particles of plastic into the environment. Grass converts carbon dioxide to oxygen: as a planet, we are in desperate need of more oxygen and less carbon dioxide. Artificial turf converts oxygen to considerable amounts of carbon dioxide and monoxide during its manufacturing processes, during shipping and delivery, and during installation.
Microplastics are crossing the blood-brain barrier and accumulating in human brains, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine.Microplastics are crossing the blood-brain barrier and accumulating in human brains, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine.”
Rubberized surfaces are mostly recycled tire rubber. Plastic grass and rubberized surfaces heat up well above the ambient air temperature. Even in San Francisco, temperatures are more than hot enough to “facilitate the release of chemicals ... linked to numerous negative health effects.” Unfortunately, we use the same rubberized surfaces on children’s playgrounds.
You can see the news on the dangers of plastics in our environment most Sundays in the San Francisco Chronicle in Earthweek: Diary of a Changing World, by Steve Newman:
“A new study (by University of Rhode Island scientists) finds the microplastic pollution that now permeates the planet can travel to the brain and cause behavioral changes.” - Week ending, September 22, 2023.
“Studies have found that microplastic pollution is accumulating not only in our arteries, but also in all 62 human placentas examined.... the particles have also recently been found in human blood and breast milk, which indicates we are being exposed to the pollution on a massive scale, as are other creatures. ‘If we’re seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted,’ said lead researcher Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico.’” - week ending March 1, 2024.
“Microplastics are crossing the blood-brain barrier and accumulating in human brains, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine.” - week ending February 7, 2025
The following is from Real Grass for Healthy Kids! greenwichfreepress.com March 12, 2021:
“Scientists have shown that both the grass-like blades and the backing of artificial turf contain PFAS, highly toxic fluorinated chemicals. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” since they accumulate in the body and do not break down. They have been linked to endocrine disruption and cancer. Children are especially vulnerable to harm from PFAS because of their developing bodies and the chemicals’ persistence in the body.”
The long-term health of our parks, playing fields and the people who play on them is not served by plastic grass and rubberized surfaces.
David Romano is an environmental activist living near Ocean Beach
March 2025
