Which is better for the environment - real or fake Christmas trees? The real ones are decomposable or can be recycled as chips, but the fake ones keep from chopping down more trees.
Here's an article from the National Wildlife Federation about this issue...
Quote:
Beneath the Tinsel
Real or artificial? Once again it's time to ponder that age-old question. But choosing a Christmas tree involves more than aesthetic and economic concerns. There's an ethical dimension, too: Which type of tree is best from an environmental standpoint?
Artificial trees were a good choice when they first came on the scene. Reusable and clean, these trees offered a decent alternative to real trees harvested from a forest. Artificial trees are expensive, but they're reusable, too. The main problem with them is that they're made from petroleum-based products that eventually end up in our landfills. Also, the harvesting of real trees has changed considerably in the last few decades.
The real trees cut and sold today at tree lots are almost exclusively grown on Christmas tree farms. These farms generally utilize land that can't be used for other agricultural purposes. Because the trees are harvested at an average of eight years of age, a tree farmer harvests only 10 to 20 percent of the crop each year in order to insure a sustained yield. Thus most of the land on a tree farm is covered with small trees, like an early-succession forest, which supports a great variety of wildlife.
Another advantage of real trees is that they can be recycled as mulch or chips after the holidays. In fact, most communities now offer tree recycling programs. An alternative method of recycling a tree is to add it to a corner of the yard to serve as wildlife cover and habitat for creatures that like brush piles and decaying wood.
A third option is to use a living tree. It's the most ecologically correct solution to the Christmas tree problem, but it's also the most difficult to carry out.
Living evergreen trees are sold in planters or with their root balls wrapped in burlap. With proper care, one of these trees can be reused for several years or transplanted outdoors after the holidays. The problem is that many living trees can't handle the transition from outdoors to indoors and then back outdoors at this time of year. An outdoor tree has adjusted its physiology to cope with winter conditions; coming inside to a dry, warm environment is a tremendous shock.
One way to help minimize the shock is to let the tree acclimate for a week in the garage and then keep it in the house for only seven to ten days. As a further precaution, some experts recommend treating the foliage with a chemical that minimizes water loss through the needles. (For more information on caring for a living Christmas tree, click here.)
So which kind of tree is best for the environment? If you live in a climate where your indoor temperatures aren't drastically different from those outside, and you're willing to limit the number of days the tree is inside, give a living tree a chance. If you use a cut tree, be sure to recycle it properly. And if you opt for an artificial tree, take good care of it so it will last as long as possible.
Real or artificial? Once again it's time to ponder that age-old question. But choosing a Christmas tree involves more than aesthetic and economic concerns. There's an ethical dimension, too: Which type of tree is best from an environmental standpoint?
Artificial trees were a good choice when they first came on the scene. Reusable and clean, these trees offered a decent alternative to real trees harvested from a forest. Artificial trees are expensive, but they're reusable, too. The main problem with them is that they're made from petroleum-based products that eventually end up in our landfills. Also, the harvesting of real trees has changed considerably in the last few decades.
The real trees cut and sold today at tree lots are almost exclusively grown on Christmas tree farms. These farms generally utilize land that can't be used for other agricultural purposes. Because the trees are harvested at an average of eight years of age, a tree farmer harvests only 10 to 20 percent of the crop each year in order to insure a sustained yield. Thus most of the land on a tree farm is covered with small trees, like an early-succession forest, which supports a great variety of wildlife.
Another advantage of real trees is that they can be recycled as mulch or chips after the holidays. In fact, most communities now offer tree recycling programs. An alternative method of recycling a tree is to add it to a corner of the yard to serve as wildlife cover and habitat for creatures that like brush piles and decaying wood.
A third option is to use a living tree. It's the most ecologically correct solution to the Christmas tree problem, but it's also the most difficult to carry out.
Living evergreen trees are sold in planters or with their root balls wrapped in burlap. With proper care, one of these trees can be reused for several years or transplanted outdoors after the holidays. The problem is that many living trees can't handle the transition from outdoors to indoors and then back outdoors at this time of year. An outdoor tree has adjusted its physiology to cope with winter conditions; coming inside to a dry, warm environment is a tremendous shock.
One way to help minimize the shock is to let the tree acclimate for a week in the garage and then keep it in the house for only seven to ten days. As a further precaution, some experts recommend treating the foliage with a chemical that minimizes water loss through the needles. (For more information on caring for a living Christmas tree, click here.)
So which kind of tree is best for the environment? If you live in a climate where your indoor temperatures aren't drastically different from those outside, and you're willing to limit the number of days the tree is inside, give a living tree a chance. If you use a cut tree, be sure to recycle it properly. And if you opt for an artificial tree, take good care of it so it will last as long as possible.
So what do you guys think?
