by Christopher Barratt

Created on: December 14, 2009

Cutting down a Christmas tree for your family to enjoy over the winter holidays is not bad for the environment at all. First, these trees are immediately replaced. Also, contrary to popular belief and contrary to the views of people who simply do not know what they are talking about, a baby tree or sapling in its first two years of life will absorb more CO2 than a fully-grown tree. A fully-grown tree reduces the amount of CO2 it absorbs as it grows larger, therefore making this practice beneficial to the environment.

I would much prefer a real and beautifully decorated tree standing in the corner of my room and filling the air with a lovely pine fragrance rather than being forced to stare at a sad and sorry looking fake plastic incarnation of one.

People who are happy with a plastic tree are obviously not that interested in Christmas or have never actually had a real tree grace their home or how important they are to most people.

Christmas trees are a harvest plain and simple. These trees, which are intentionally grown for this very purpose, are not an endangered species either. People who disagree with this must also disagree with the growing and harvesting of millions of square miles of wheat, hops, rape, corn and every other harvested crop around the world.

Or, if you wish to take it to another level, the cutting of your lawn. Is it wrong to cut down these things too? These also absorb CO2 do they not? and yet they are cut down every day of the year, not only in the month of December.

If we can just put the carbon footprint brigade to one side for a moment, we can look at the situation another way. When people see a tree they see a living thing because it looks like a living thing. It has limbs that look like arms and legs; it has leaves that can be imagined as hair and bark that makes them appear wizened and wise like your grandpa.

This leads people to feel sorry for them and therefore against them being harvested for a seasonal Christian ritual. Those who feel this way, which there are many, need to differentiate, even though they are alive, trees have no conscience, no sight, no hearing, no feelings.

When all is said and done, Christmas trees will continue to be grown and harvested just the same as any other crop, Christmas trees are extremely fast growing and do not take eons to replace stocks. Also the amount of trees stolen or cut down illegally is minimal.

It doesnt end there either, when the tree is no longer required, it can be chopped up and used as firewood to heat your home for a few days, or given to somebody else to use for fuel or sent for recycling, it is not wasted.

Those who complain about Christmas trees being cut down for recreation would do well to actually buy one this year and see what joy and happiness they can bring to a family, if only for one day out of the year.

  

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