The Huffington Post:
The Christmas tree: it’s a quintessential part of the holiday season. But it turns out not all festive trees are made equal — at least not when it comes to environmental friendliness.
So, which is better for the planet — a freshly cut tree or a fake one?
The short answer, which may come as a surprise to some, is a real tree. But it’s actually more complicated than that.
No surprise to me. I’m from Nova Scotia, a large tree farming area. I won’t allow a fake Christmas tree in my home for aesthetic and economic reasons.
I won’t let a real tree in my house because they’re a serious fire risk.
How about a nice photograph of a tree?
I have cats that eat real trees and then throw up. Hence fake tree.
About five or six years ago we got a real tree. When it started to thaw, hundreds of aphids came out of it and started crawling around the floor and dying. They left a little red spot when you stepped on them. Hell of a mess. We’ve had a very nice fake tree ever since.
I’d love to use a real tree, but there’s no way I’m hauling one in and out of a condo. I’m not even sure it’s allowed in our bylaws. If it is, it’s probably only because nobody’s hauled one out through the hall yet.
Back when I was a kid, we’d sometimes get cut trees but I really liked when we’d get trees with roots. They’d go outside at the end of the season. I’d love to do that again, if I ever own land.
How so? I and everyone in my family have had real trees for aggregate hundreds of years. No house has ever burned down.
If you had said, “improperly care for real trees are a serious fire risk” then I’d agree with you but there are lots of things that, when improperly cared for, catch fire. Doesn’t mean I won’t use them.
Perhaps your bylaws have specific requirements about bagging them before hauling either way?
I checked the bylaws and we literally have nothing about trees in them, which seems odd to me. I’ll mention it to council first time I see pine needles everywhere. 🙂
A friend with an easily over-stimulated child (not sure what syndrome it is) uses a felt tree on the wall. It’s actually not as bad as you might think.
New bylaw!