Help me decide.?

Question

So what would be better to do for Christmas? Buy a real christmas tree and feel bad for being responsible for having a tree cut down or buy a fake one and feel responsible for supporting the production of plastics which in turn causes more pollution and the use of petroleum? I can't win I feel help me please.

Answer 1

I buy a live tree every Christmas and plant it when the ground unfreezes enough that I can dig the hole.
Done it every year since 1989

Answer 2

You could always try planting the Christmas tree (the real one) after Christmas. A certain percentage will start growing again, maybe one in three. But on the whole, a real Christmas tree is much better environmentally than plastic/fake trees. Real trees are renewable. There is a zero sum carbon foot print considering a new tree will almost certainly replace the cut tree. The waste from the real tree, should it not be replanted or not survive, is minor with respect to the resources needed for disposal/storage compared to the plastic tree.

Answer 3

Do which ever you want and stop agonizing over trivia. Consider this.

The natural Christmas tree was grown on a farm as a crop. It was harvested and a new tree planted to take its place. This tree will be harvested in turn. We are talking about a renewable resource here so why worry.

The plastics in the artificial tree were made from fossil fuels. If they were not converted into plastic they would have been burned releasing carbon dioxide (a green house gas) and possibly several pollutants as well. So by purchasing and keeping the plastic tree you are effectively sequestering carbon and possibly helping reduce global warming.

Answer 4

Get a real tree.
Cutting down a tree isn't necessarily a terrible thing. Removing a 3 foot high tree each year for Christmas isn't going to hurt anything (except the tree). Would you feel bad about cutting down a stalk of corn or pulling a potato out of the ground?

Now cutting down a tree that is large, rare, or essential habitat is a bad thing.

Answer 5

You're damned if you do....and you know the rest
Trees will continue to be cut down regardless to whether or not you buy a real tree, and the fake trees will continue to be mass produced regardless.

You could go without a tree; just decorate the house and string up the lights (maybe spend a little on fake garlands) or you could buy a festive potted topiary, which is still alive, and if you have a green thumb, you can maintain it.

Answer 6

Christmas trees are purposely grown for this use and do not in any way effect the number of trees as such.For example,if no body uses a real Christmas tree,then people who sell them ,would stop growing them.Which would mean the same thing as when people used real trees. ie the number of trees remaining the same.How ever,this argument can't be extended to other uses like paper industry or timber products etc,for which forests are being inundated and exploited.So,feel free to choose what you like.

Answer 7

If you are that worried about the environment, you will do neither! Both are bad. Find a very creative alternative to a real or fake tree. Such as make something that would resemble a tree out of old or recycled ornaments. Try second hand stores for fake trees..... Be creative.... It's more fun and it helps the environment.

Answer 8

If you buy your tree at a Christmas tree farm they are grown especially for this purpose, and you could always buy one with it's roots on and plant it some where after Christmas

Answer 9

I suggest buying a real nice fake one that can last for years. Yes it will be a little costly then again, losing a tree would too.

Answer 10

Got your answer right here. Go to www.freecycle.org find a freecycle close to you. Join and ask for a fake tree. Not only will you be getting a tree, it will be free, and you will be saving it from a landfill.

Come join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Green_Technology/

I also have a Freecycle(tm) group.