Want to fight global warming by saving a real Christmas tree by going fake this year?Think again. Our desire to celebrate the birth of Christ by going all pagan at by killing a pine tree and propping it up in our living rooms to watch them drop needles on our floors is helping to save the planet.
Christmas trees aren't wild. They are grown as a crop, with an estimated 446 million growing in the US today. For every tree cut, one to three are planted. A single tree on average absorbs 48 pounds of CO2 (greenhouse gas) a year. That's 21,408,000,000 pounds of global warming getting soaked up a year. That makes up for the CO2 emitted by 1,070,400,000 families and their cars per year. And if we weren't buying these trees, who would plant them?
Yes, yes, we use more electricity to light these trees...but if you're using a fake tree you're using the same extra electricity without the benefit of funding the CO2-absorbing tree farms. And don't those fake trees come in a cardboard box?
The other thing to know about fake trees is that 85 percent of them are made in China...a nation not known for its eco-friendly manufacturing practices. The real trees I'm talking about are grown right here in Sarah Palin's America, gosh darnnit.
So go head. Kill a tree and put it in your house. The planet will thank you.
3 comments:
China and Christmas trees... who knew Buddha celebrated Christmas! LOL
Actually, the live trees are a renewable source... makes me feel a lot better about using a live one. Although, this year, we made wreaths from fake crap to put in the inn in a manner that we could leave it up after the holidays with minimal alterations. The former decor was in need of replacement so we hit the craft stores and came home to do hot glue in overdrive.
instead of fir and cedar in the shop... I used grape vines and recycled corks for faux-trees and wreaths
Sounds very Martha Stewart. I've decided to go minimalist for Christmas this year, which for me means only one tree.
My tiny ghetto tree just died (broke), and I don't think I'm going to replace it. I just string lights around a window and that's about as festive as I can handle.
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