"Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, how environmentally green are thee?" So which is better, fake or real tree? [And those of you in Los Angeles or Miami thought I was talking about a certain anatomical feature. ]Nothing says "Christmas" like the smell of pine in your living room on a winter morning! But is that smell really "green" or is it bad for the planet? Is it more environmentally responsible to buy a fake tree and use it year after year? What about keeping a live tree for Christmas? Let's look at the options one by one.
If you want a tree for the holiday, the experts at Grist and TreeHugger say it's actually better to buy a real live Christmas tree than an artificial tree.
Why? In a word, plastics. Fake trees are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Per the experts, lead is commonly found in PVC. According to a report in the Journal of Environmental Health, lead levels are about a third higher in older artificial trees (ranging in age from from 7 to 17 years). Tests revealed lead levels that are significantly higher than the safe daily exposure level for children. But do kids normally chew on fake tree branches? Regardless even if they do not munch on the bristly branches, producing PVC creates a lot of pollution and it's difficult to recycle.
Farmed Christmas trees are ultimately a renewable resource. Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide, and after the holidays, the trees can be recycled into mulch. Check Earth 911 to see where to take your dead tree after the 25th.
What about a live tree? This is often promoted as the ultimate eco-friendly holiday option. Well, it's not that simple. First, you have to live in the right climate to plant a tree after Christmas. If the ground is frozen outside, it could prove difficult if not impossible.
Then, you can only keep a live tree indoors for a few days, either 4 to 10, depending on the type of tree. You can't have this tree up after Thanksgiving and around till New Years, or you'll kill it.
Some types of live trees can be kept outside in containers for a year or two. Others grow fast and must be planted in the ground sooner. Either way, this isn't a long-term solution to your Christmas decorations -- what do you do the following year? Pretty soon, the tree won't fit in the house.
Also, you must carefully consider how much space you have in your yard to plant trees. Remember, these trees may grow up to 60-feet tall.
So, the most practical solution for earth-friendly folks who celebrate Christmas is to look for a locally grown tree. Ask if the farm uses integrated pest management instead of tons of chemicals. If you can, find a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm. It's good family fun too.
So what if you don't have a backyard, live in a city and do not have Christmas tree recycling nearby? Easy solution: Forego the tree, and let the nativity scene be the focal point! Isn't the birth of a special baby what Christmas is all about?
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Merry Christmas!
4 comments:
Actually, you CAN replant it in colder (frozen) regions of the US. It just needs some advanced planning. Dig the hole BEFORE the ground freezes and keep the dirt in the garage or somewhere where it wont freeze so it is workable when it comes time to fill the hole. Then acclaimate the tree to the cold weather as much as possible to avoid temp shock. Other important items to remember..the tree must have a rootball in order to be replanted. Then, when planting, remember to remove the wrapping around the root ball, including the burlap. Then plant it high (not low) in the hole, with the top of the root flair showing. Use compost to mulch, not WOOD mulch. Then, DO NOT allow the mulch to touch the bark-ever!
Thanks YMichal! You see, even other "experts" can't know everything. Thank you so much for sharing your proven tip on how to grow trees in freezing regions of U.S. Merry Christmas!
We cut our own tree from the forest around us - but this year had a hard time finding one.
This was a dry year and the trees didn't get enough moisture, so many are yellowish. Hoping this year will be easier on them.
These trees are not thinned, so many have only one side. Where they grow wild, sometimes the trees are only inches apart, so you see a good looking tree from a distance and when you get up close, it's actually 2 or 3 trees trying to take up the space.
This isn't a good thing - where too many trees try to take up too little space, none of them grow well and many die and fall... making a tangled mess.
Hunting a tree is a time-consuming process, requiring hours of walking, but at least you know the tree is freshly cut and not already drying out when it reaches your living room. I also like wild trees better because there's room between the branches for ornaments. With tree-farm trees you have to kind of lay the ornaments on the outside.
My answer is: "real ones". I prefer the natural thing. As a matter of fact we just purchased ours last Saturday. The main reason for my preference: the aroma. Not only because it is nice (at least to me), but because that triggers old memories from childhood. Very good ones!.
But some people don't like to spend money every year (which of course trees, like everything else get more expensive year after year); some others don't like to be dealing with the pricks falling every day, etc. But I've known quite a few characters here and there when it comes to trees; from a friend of mine (from school back in Panama) who would cry every Jan. 7 when the tree had to be removed; to an aunt of my ex, who at the end of every season covers the tree (an artificial one, of course), with a plastic bag (assembled, with the lights on, ornaments, the whole 9 yards), and stores it in a closet as it is so the following year all she does is pull it out, take the cover off and set it in the usual corner.
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