by David Riel

Created on: December 16, 2009

Cutting down real Christmas tree is bad for the environment for a number of reasons.  And did you know that this debate goes right back to the turn of the last Century? I’ll tell you what some of our forbear’s urged holiday makers to do instead of cut down a real Christmas tree at the end of my argument.

But first, here’s why cutting down real Christmas trees hurts the environment:

1. Carbon dioxide is one of the gasses which causes global warming.  Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by “breathing” in carbon dioxide and “breathing” out oxygen.  We humans, breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. 

The trees should be cutting us down, not the other way around!

2. Cutting down real Christmas trees uses fossil fuels.  Machines are used to plant, tend, harvest and package Christmas trees.  Even if you get your own tree you still use gas for your vehicle.

3. Christmas trees grown in tree farms have to be watered, fertilized, and have pesticides applied to them.  In addition, they also take up land that could be used for a more environmentally useful product.  Christmas trees take several years to grow and then are almost immediately discarded.

4. Real Christmas trees find their way to landfills.  Sure, they could be composted, but very few are.

5. If you cut down a wild tree, you are removing shelter for birds and animals, as well as a wind break, and depending on the area, contributing to erosion.

6. Killing a living part of the environment for decorative purposes cannot be good for the environment by any measure.  Sure, you can argue that it’s better than a fake tree, but I have an even better solution.

Remember I said some of our forbears urged their fellows not to cut down real Christmas trees? They knew nothing of global warming, of course, they just felt that it was wrong to kill something beautiful and useful just to make a decoration.

They suggested that instead of cutting down a real tree, people make something called a Jacob’s Ladder, and use this as the centerpiece of their Christmas activities.  You can make a Jacob’s Ladder by covering a stepladder with a sheet, and then decorating it with pine boughs, pine cones, sprigs of holly, Christmas ornaments, and so on, and put small gifts on its steps as well. 

Cutting down a real Christmas tree hurts the environment, and really isn’t necessary.  Make a Jacob’s ladder instead!

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