by Ronald Capalungan

Created on: December 12, 2009

I can state a dozen reasons why cutting down Christmas trees for the holidays is bad for the environment. I can talk about how much carbon dioxide a healthy fully grown tree will convert to oxygen as compared to a sapling. I can also talk about how the roots of a fully grown tree help prevent erosion in some areas. 

Next, I can talk about the fuel used to cut down the trees and transport them to locations to sell. Finally I can talk about all the homes that burn to the ground further contributing to our pollution problems as a world. However I am not going to waste all of your time droning on like a robot about information that any individual who considers him/herself intelligent should already know.

Instead I would like to talk about the how the whole ritual of cutting down a Christmas tree brainwashes our future generations turning them into a generation of environmentally ignorant individuals.

Next time you take your family out to the Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree, think about the repercussion in your children’s lives. First, think about the message your giving your children. A message of wanton waste and unnecessary destruction of life.

Showing your children how little importance other life on earth have when compared to our need for temporary decoration, further cementing the ideals that cause our nation to generate 210 million tons of solid waste each year.

Last but not least, this same ritual also reinforces your children’s negative concepts and destructive behaviors towards nature, further adding to their ignorance. 

In the end, if it isn't Christmas trees then these farms would grow something else because there is always a demand for some type of produce. It is up to us as consumers to realize that our decisions have long term consequences, just because we don't see the affects of our poor choices tomorrow, future generations will.

I know what everybody is thinking, "how is a plastic tree with hazardous metals and chemicals any better?" My only answer is to not buy a tree at all, however realistically speaking and coming from a hypocrite, I honestly have an artificial tree I’ve used for the past three years. At the end of the day we all have to look at ourselves in the mirror, I know my conscience is clean, how about yours?

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