Christmas tree (an environmental issue)?

Question

Ok, so i have been reading the questions and answers about live vs fake christmas tree and I thought i would ask the obvious questions: 1.) any estimates of how much energy goes into producing the live tree and fake tree (cradle to grave)? and 2.) does anyone know of a fake tree made of recycled resources?

Answer 1

not sure but here is a sight that may help answer some of that

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-c...

Answer 2

FAKE TREE BY OXFAB

Answer 3

many councils recycle the trees to provide`bark` for play areas

Answer 4

I don't think anyone can tell you how much energy goes into producing a live tree for Christmas.  A live tree can be planted and that's considered to be a good contribution to the world.

If you can't get those stats, then you cannot do the comparison with the fake tree.

The ONLY link when I search for tree from OXFAB takes me to a website that wants to attack my computer system, so don't try to go there!

Answer 5

i think you should get a live tree and plant it in your backyard when the holidays are over.

Answer 6

Dude, REAL tries are made of recycled resources.

Answer 7

It's obvious that a live tree is better for the enviroment, no matter what.

Answer 8

Paint one on your wall.(last question.)No.

Answer 9

I don't know, but a dead tree and live tree are both good for the environment.

Answer 10

Each holiday season, shoppers find themselves confronted with a difficult choice: celebrate with a real or plastic tree. What most people don’t realize is that the best choice has always been the traditional and natural choice, a real Christmas tree.Real Christmas trees are a benefit to the environment from the time they are planted until after the holiday season when they can be recycled. While they’re growing, real Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. This helps prevent the earth-warming greenhouse effect.

Every acre of Christmas trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. In the United States there are approximately 1 million acres of growing Christmas trees; that means that 18 million people a day are supplied with oxygen thanks to Christmas trees.

One of the benefits of Leyland Cypress is lack strong odor so they don’t seem to affect people with allergies.

The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies, and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas trees are grown on soil that doesn’t support other corps.

Artificial trees are a petroleum based product that consumes vast resources during fabrication. A burden to the environment, artificial trees are not biodegradable and will remain in land-fills for centuries after disposal. The average life span of an artificial tree is only six years.

Real Christmas trees, on the other hand, are easily reused and recycled.

Christmas trees are biodegradable - the trunk and branches can be used as mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides a protect barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.

Mulching programs are a fast growing trend in communities throughout the nation. Check with your local department of public works for information. Some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on river beds. Sunk into private fish ponds, trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish.

Before recycling, Christmas trees can be used to make bird feeders, adding color and excitement to the winter garden. Utilize orange slices, suet, and see to attract the birds. They will come for the food and stay for the shelter in the branches.

Answer 11

How would one actually measure this?

A live tree is farmed, so only trees that were planted solely for this purpose were cut.   So, they would never have been grown if it weren't for Christmas.  

It takes energy to plant those trees, care for them, pick them, ship them, buy them.....etc.  On the plus side, it contributes oxygen to the planet in the years before it is cut.  

A plastic tree is made from petroleum based products, so draws down on our oil resources.   The raw materials are shipped to a factory, the factory uses energy to make the tree, the trees are delivered.  

You know what....close enough....who cares.   I want the live one.  If somebody ever comes up with compelling evidence for the plastic model perhaps I will change my mind.  

And, if you want to make a difference, drive a hybrid (or don't drive), put solar or wind power on your house.

Answer 12

I honestly dont know Probably the real ones are better. We always get real ones so we'll have another tree to put at the end of the dock at our lake land to create a home for the fish....until we catch them! ;)

Answer 13

They may make some trees out of recycled plastic, you would have to do some research on that. You can make a tree yourself at home if you are the least bit creative and don't want to do the traditional thing. I have made them out of grapevines, after seeing expensive ones in a trade show: I have taken a large twiggy branch, put it in a pot and anchored with plaster of paris, and sprayed the branch with artificial snow dusted with glitter; I have made small ones that resemble antique feather trees out of wire and fake garland,  I have made them out of a styrofoam cone studdedwith fruit held in placewith toothpicks. Your imagination is your limit.  

I think the energies that go into the live tree are more than justified by the uses the tree can be put to, and there is no justification for an artificial tree in terms of the environment.

Answer 14

I bought a small potted tree when my eldest child was first born. It has grown with them. Still alive it doesnt drop needles and I dont throw it away after.

We have had it 9 years and it takes three men to carry it in... but so worth having our own 'special' real tree! Proberly give it a good trim and repot after this year to keep it healthy and managable :-)    Merry Christmas Everyone x

Answer 15

Both real and fake Christmas trees expend energy in shipment, but the fake ones expend more energy in their manufacture. The best alternative, if you have the room for it, is to plant your own Christmas tree. Decorate it with outdoor lights and outdoor metal decorations. As sit grows, you can add more lights and decorations each year.

Answer 16

I do not know the numbers, but surely it is whether those resources are renewable or not that is important. A real tree is sustainable, whereas a fake one made of plastic uses up non-renewable oil.

Answer 17

well there's probably eco websites for fake christmas trees

but you could make a fake christmas trees out of anything, you could use pipe cleaners, chopsticks, anything! be creative and make your own. my cousin even knitted a sweater for a tree outside her house. personally, i think it's just easier to use a live tree because you have to truck the trees back forth (living or fake) but live trees add a nice vibe to a home and make everything smell good. (if you have cats, you won't have to worry about guests smelling the box) anyway the people who cut these trees replant one for every tree they cut, and the dead/used trees are used for mulch which helps other plants in the winter grow.

Answer 18

aldo the real tree is renewable by natural means each year it still has to be cut, shipped, bought, transported, cleaned up after,[hover] and transported again to dispose of it. but you do this once for a fake tree plus you don't need to hover up the pines. so the longer you keep using a fake tree the more you are doing for the enviroment. also the more real trees that are left to grow the more they help clean our air.

Answer 19

omg its nearly christmas who cares?

Answer 20

A fake chrsitmas is better for the enviroment. Chritams trees are CUT DOWN TREES and they only live for a month or so. Fake trees can be made of recycled resorces and they often are, plus you can use it for years and years.