At this time of year, many people are asking, which choice is more economically responsible, getting a real Christmas tree or investing in an artificial one? Research strongly suggests that investing in a live tree is better for the environment and our health! Read some of these facts...
ECO-BENEFITS OF CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS
* While Christmas trees grow, they replenish the air with oxygen; just one acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to support eighteen people.
* Tree farms provide habitat for birds and other wildlife (However, pesticide use on Christmas tree farms could be decreased for even greater environmental benefits.
* Due to their hardiness, Christmas trees are often planted where few other plants grow, thereby increasing soil stability.
* For each Christmas tree cut on tree farms, 2 or 3 new seedlings are planted.
Facts and figures on Real Christmas trees
Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.
Approximately 25 million-30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the nation every year.
Approximately 330,000 real Christmas trees are sold via e-commerce or catalog and shipped to the customer
North American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty percent of artificial trees are manufactured in China.
There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees in the United States. Each acre can provide the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people.
There are about 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and more than 100,000 people employed full- or part-time in the industry.
It can take as much as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6-7 feet) or as little as four years, but the average growing time is seven years.
The top Christmas tree-producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The top-selling Christmas trees are balsam fir, Douglas fir, fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.
Consider these important facts about fake trees...
1. Fake trees and wreaths are made from nonrenewable petroleum.REAL Christmas trees and wreaths do not harm our environment and our resources... they are produced as an agricultural crop. Each year Christmas tree growers replace cut trees with a new crop of seedlings.
2. When a fake tree catches fire, it puts dangerous toxic fumes into the air.A properly cared-for REAL Christmas tree will not catch fire easily. If and when it does, its fumes will certainly not be as toxic. In addition, one acre of REAL Christmas trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produces enough oxygen for 18 people.
3. Fake trees cannot be recycled. When they are disposed of in a sanitary landfill, they will not disintegrate, but will remain there forever, taking up increasingly scarce landfill space.Our cities today are faced with a critical shortage of sanitary land fill space. Many of them, and states as well, have passed laws prohibiting disposal of REAL Christmas trees in a landfill. REAL trees are thus being used in various helpful ways when disposed of...such as ground-up mulch to replenish the soil, fish habitat and other useful methods.But, what about disposal of fake Christmas trees? No legislation has yet been passed to prohibit their disposal in a landfill. A fake Christmas tree has no use whatsoever when disposed of, except to continue taking up space in critically-needed landfill space.
4. Fake trees are manufactured mainly outside of the United States.We hear much today about our economy being faced with a loss of jobs. Why do we continue to promote loss of jobs in the Christmas tree industry by buying and using fake Christmas trees and wreaths when very few fake trees and wreaths are made in the United States by American Labor.Thousands of jobs have already been lost in the Christmas tree industry because continued sale and use of fake trees and wreaths continues to be encouraged.Over the years, the Christmas tree has come to symbolize the faith and hope of harmony among all mankind. This spirit is REAL and a REAL Christmas tree, when brought inside our homes, projects this feeling through its pleasant scent and natural warm beauty.
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