Watering the lawn: Viewing the elite through uneeded excess

This is as odd of an approach as I'll ever take in writing an article, but I feel that my point is telling, albeit from a seemingly innocuous observation. While driving my car this past Monday, during the heat wave and drought we are experiencing in south central Wisconsin, I noticed a clear distinction between the practices of the differing classes residing in the villages of Waunakee and Dane, two small towns lying on the outskirts of Madison. Both areas are relatively wealthy, though Waunakee possesses far more upscale housing and suburban like living than Dane, and attracts a younger, more elitist type of crowd, whereas Dane is far more of a farming community and much more rural. I noticed that as you ventured closer and closer to the wealthier housing developments in Waunakee, the grass in these developments grew greener and greener. And not only that, the environmental irresponsibility grew greater and greater. We've seen rain twice since the end of June, and I didn't mow my lawn once in the month of July, yet on one of the hottest days of the year, during one of the longest draughts in recent years, many residents in the Savannah Village and Southbridge developments of Waunakee watered their lawns during the hottest part of the day, where real estate easily exceed the $400,000 mark. Where are the priorities of these people? What does this say about their societal worth? Leave the village of Waunakee and head to the more rural Dane, and you'll find lawn after lawn which reflect the recent draught, not lawn after lawn reflecting excessive status. And that’s what this is about, superficial status. As it is, the water tables in Wisconsin have been lowering for years, and this waste of water is a glaring concern. Head a little north of Madison and you'll find dried lake after dried lake in the rural farming communities, resulting from mass irrigation over time during long periods of draught. There is also the added element of wasted energy (that is the energy used to treat the water for human consumption prior to being used on the lawn), which is perhaps the most troubling (this takes into account both well water and city water). Perhaps were we not in a draught, watering the lawn would be justifiable, but even that is debatable with the energy concerns we currently face linked to the reality of Global Warming. Furthermore, you couldn't water your lawn during a worse time of the day than the middle, for the sun evaporates a good portion of what has been used (This is why it's suggested to water at night), but these wealthy citizens simply didn't hold that concern. Their concern is themselves and the pointless status of their lawn, not the social irresponsibility they are displaying in wasting vital natural resources on something as unimportant as the color and health of their grass. But that's what's troubling. This is important to these people! This is the end result of what their lifestyle has afforded. No, watering ones grass and obsessing over ones lawn isn't one of the grave concerns currently affecting humanity, but what has made this obsession a desire, is. The elitism of our country is built upon status, and that is the troubling fact. Status is superficial. There is too much emphasis placed upon status in this country, and social irresponsibility is the direct result. Excess is something to be frowned upon.