 Fact:
Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms by hardworking
American families and contribute greatly to local and regional economies
in many rural regions of the United States.
Fact: Real Christmas Trees are just
like all other trees; able to absorb harmful gases like carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases and real, live trees are a major source of
oxygen as they release this important life-sustaining gas into the air.
Also, live trees have a fragrance that is really incomparable to any
other substitute.
Fact: A one-acre tract of Christmas
trees can provide the daily oxygen requirement for 18 individuals! This
means that our Christmas Tree farms are supplying a great deal of the
oxygen! There are currently about 500,000 acres of Christmas trees in
the United States; these tracts provide oxygen for approximately 9
million people daily. The younger, fast growing trees actually release
more oxygen than the older, taller, more mature trees.
Fact: For every real tree harvested
on the farm, another one is planted in its place to ensure a steady,
supply of trees year after year. The field tracts of trees support
animal life in the area and are a haven for turkeys, quail, songbirds,
rabbits, and even deer, thus supporting and sustaining God's green Earth
and it's beautiful creatures. Also, if you plant your tree outside after
the holidays, balled and burlapped trees can protect your home and
property from the wind, loud noises, dust, provide shade and dissipate
foul odors.
Fact: Real Christmas Trees are a
renewable, recyclable resource. After the holiday season, Real Trees can
be chipped into mulch, which helps soil health in landscapes, parks,
schools and on your property. Many communities host recycling programs
for a short time after the holiday period ends.
Fact: Recycled Christmas Trees can
play an important role in helping deter sand and soil erosion from
beaches and river beds, thus protecting our water supply. Sometimes they
are even sunk into lakes and ponds where they are an excellent home and
feeding ground for native fish.
Fact: A real tree has never started
a fire all on its own; fire hazards like candles, faulty Christmas
lights and ornaments, and a fireplace are usually the fuel that starts
the fire. If a tree has been properly cared for and precautions are
taken to ensure that no open flames or heat sources are near it, it
really is no more of a fire hazard than any piece of furniture in your
home. |
VS |
 Fact:
Fake Christmas Trees are cheaply made in countries like
Korea, Taiwan, or China. Importing artificial trees from these countries
has contributed to the enormous trade deficit issues that we have today.
Fact: Artificial Christmas
Trees are made from various materials that are not exactly great for the
environment, as most of these materials are nonrenewable plastics. The
manufacturing process that goes into these petroleum based plastics
require us to use a bit of our natural resources that, once gone, are
lost forever. The manufacturing process can also create pollution, thus
adding to an already evident problem.
Fact: The average lifespan of an
Artificial Christmas Tree is actually only about 6 to 7 years. So much
for that salesperson telling you that you will never need another tree!
Eventually, most of the trees bought in a store lose their appeal, get
damaged, and typically end up in landfills. Artificial trees are made
from materials that are not biodegradable, therefore that fake tree will
stay around in the landfill forever– much longer than your lifetime. It
may be gone from your home and your mind, but it is still here causing
problems for the Earth's environment.
Fact: The plastics and metal
materials used to create artificial trees sometimes contain hazardous
elements such as lead. Think about that tree just sitting in the
landfill; it could contain lead, which we know to cause various health
problems when it enters the body, and it will remain in the landfill
forever.
Fact: Harmful, Asian wood-boring
beetle species, three different species to be correct, have been noticed
in Northern America. These Asian beetles were imported to our continent
on the wooden trunks of cheaply made fake trees. If allowed to spread
and populate, these insects could attack our native forests and the
lumber in our homes!
Fact: Some consumers have suffered
terrible allergic reactions to the man-made materials in their fake
trees.
Fact: When a fake tree catches on
fire, it releases dangerous toxic fumes from the chemicals in the
materials of the fake tree. These toxic fumes are dangerous to your
health and could linger after a fire. Have you assumed that fake trees
are safer than real trees? According to the National Fire Protection
Association, 28% of home fires involving a Christmas tree involved a
fake, artificial tree. They do catch on fire! |
