4 Christmas Trees Are An Environmental Issue
Should you buy an artificial tree or a real one? Proponents of the artificial tree point to saving a real tree’s life, reusability, and the lower carbon footprint. Those who swear by real trees say that farm-raised trees are destined to end their lives decorated with tinsel and ornaments, and a real tree’s environmental contributions while growing are greater than the costs of manufacture.
Both camps are wrong. Or, depending on your point of view, both camps are right.
There are pros and cons to the use of each. Real trees provide a whole host of benefits while they’re growing, absorbing carbon dioxide and such, while the manufacture of artificial trees dumps a whole host of chemicals into the atmosphere. But, if you have to drive miles and miles to find the right real tree, that negates much of the good it’s been producing. If you use an artificial tree for years and years, that’s good . . . but buying a new artificial tree every few years means that you’re not doing the environment any favors.
Because most trees cut for Christmas are from farms that grow them just for that purpose, it’s not like you’re adding to a deforestation problem. Then, factor in that Christmas tree farms add to green space and provide homes for small animals and birds—but also often require the use of pesticides and other chemicals.
Ask experts, and even if they’re the executive director of the pro–artificial tree American Christmas Tree Association with good reason to be biased, they’ll likely shrug and say it doesn’t really matter. Either might be a tiny bit worse environmentally depending on your specific circumstances. In the end, ride your bike to work for a couple of days, and you’ll make up any difference one way or the other.
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