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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Christmas tree ?
What is more 'green' buying a fake tree to last years and years in my home, or to go to a local tree farm and get a real tree. I feel like the real tree would be better, am I right? TIA
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Re: Christmas tree ?
Here is pro-real list I worked up a few years ago to justify why I feel real is better.
Artificial trees:
* made with plastic (i.e. petroleum products)
* eventually will have to be disposed of, and will never break down
* likely made in China, with the carbon footprint that comes from shipping across the sea and to your store
* collect dust in the attic/basement over the years
Real trees:
* Likely grown fairly close by - at least in this country
* Christmas tree farming is fairly low-impact, often on land that can't grown anything else (at least the farms I am familiar with in the NC mountains)
* When a tree is cut down, another one is planted in its place
* Christmas tree farms are often small-scale farms
* Live tree sales are often fund raisers for local non-profit groups
* After Christmas, the trees can be mulched by your local municipality or left in a corner of your backyard to compost naturally and provide shelter for wildlife.
* They just smell so much better!
These things are all true..except I'm not exactly sure how "dust" is not earth friendly..but whatever.
To add to the cons of a fake tree: VOC's.
I wish I lived in a climate where we could have a living tree.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
Lol. Touche!
I think the greenest tree of them all is one that you can plant, or a company will rent to you and then plant once Christmas is over. But, those companies seem to be pretty rare.
So, the next best thing is a real tree from a local tree farm.
However, I'm OK with the antique silver Christmas tree that we bought second hand. : ) It's the only acceptable type of fake tree for us to have in our house, and that's because of sentimental value.
I seem to see quite a few posts like this.
And I'm wondering if it's actually NOT the "Best" thing to do....in a lot of the posts the tree died anyways.
The reason being..how much water did you waste on the tree before it died? (and other posters too?) Did you plant a non-native tree in your backyard..and that's why it died? I used to live in Arizona for example and really..this just wouldn't work there. Too hot, wrong elevation, wrong soil, not enough water. You could TELL it was a bad idea.
Also, two more things
1) In many places cutting down trees is actually forest management. It prevents forest fires. Even if trees aren't actually planted, it leaves room for nature to take it's course..and new trees will grow. The tree cutting is managed by the state or national forest..so there are specific areas people can go into--and a specific number of trees they can take.
2) A LOT of trees come from tree farms now anyways. I'd like to hear the rationale answer as to why it's a better idea for YOU--a non-tree farmer with little experience to be planting a tree VS. a farmer--who is essentially an expert in this to be doing it.
The reasons I can think of is that then that tree isn't being transported so emissions aren't being used..you are "using" the tree over and over again.
But the pros of getting a tree from a tree farm are also quite great. That land is being used wisely. You are supporting local and green business, the emissions of them driving the trees--especially if it's local is not that far, they are experts in the business of farming so they utilize their resources such as water etc wisely...
And lead! Our fake tree, and all the fake trees we looked at, had the California warning about the tree containing lead. So it's on your hands, your ornaments, your pets, your presents.....
DH was allergic to real pine trees as a kid, but the lead thing and the plastic smell (even after 3 years of use) convinced us to try a real tree this year. Fingers crossed that DH doesn't get sick and I have to take the whole thing down!
If you get a real tree and keep it in your house for more than a few days, the mold spores on that are actually worse than any dust that may collect on a fake tree in a storage bag/tub.
We had a real tree last year, but bought a small fake tabletop tree this year because of my dog's allergies, and the rambunctious Boxer who would likely climb the tree.
We cut down a live tree from a local tree farm every year and support our local farmer. The tree can be composted afterwards.
I never understand the arguement about "not wanting to kill a tree". This would be like saying you don't want to kill the vegetables in your garden. The tree comes from a farm. They are grown to be cut down, and they plant 3 in the place of the one that was cut down.