Spray-Painting Lawns in California: Margaret Canady 2nd period

As the record-setting drought in California drags on, homeowners have begun to look for solutions to their withering front lawns. The newest fad? Dying lawns bright greens to mask the yellow and brown shades of their grass.
Green grass has long been a symbol of wealth and vitality in America, especially in California. But when water bills start climbing into the triple digits, homeowners will go to drastic measures to keep their lawn appearance alive (and save their wallets).
Water rationing has been put into effect in most areas, but the allure of a green lawn is still prominent. Shawn Sahbari, an entrepreneur who sells his lawn paint, says, “Letting it go dead and brown might be an option for some people, but let’s face it, nobody really thinks brown is the new green. This lets you cut down on watering and still have a lawn that looks great.”
Spray-painting lawns is growing in popularity, and dyes are becoming increasingly available in a variety of green hues.

I found the topic of this article to be rather bizarre; the aesthetics and allusion of a green lawn seem to symbolize wealth and prosperity. But this article really made me wonder why, in fact, we care so much about our lawns, and this idea of luxury. Shouldn't we be more concerned about the drought that is consuming the environment? Shouldn't conserving the precious water available be more of a concern than making sure our lawns look good?
Spray-painting lawns is more of an instant gratification; the dye will fade away within a few months, and we will still be left with the drought and the problem of overwatering. Perhaps homeowners should be more concerned with our environment than the hue of their (rather unnecessary) plot of grass.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/us/seeing-discolored-lawns-california-businesses-apply-dab-of-green.html?ref=us