So many Richard Craniums! I also read "Campaigners are petitioning the government to introduce a tax on artificial lawns "in order to act as a deterrent and encourage land owners towards less damaging and more sustainable options". One of the campaigners calling for the tax, says plastic grass 'kills anything in the soil beneath'. Can this claim be reinforced by genuine scientific studies or is it simply artificial lawn haters having their two-bobs worth? As artificial lawn, at least here in Oz, must be porous to permit the egress of rainwater, etc, it must also be able to permit absorption from the air. If such is the case, soil sterility is a nonsense!