I love Chirstmas very much and I also love Christmas trees. I don't understand though why do they have to be sacrificed when we have options like the artificial Christmas tree. I think this is cruelty and it has to stop otherwise our beautiful forests remain history...

This is all part of the big "green" debate of pollution and global warming.
I'm writing a speech about this same topic for my English class, I'm not too sure what I support though. So far I am in support of using live trees. My family used a live tree for a few years in a row, but we live in a crowded kind of city, so we couldn't plant it and now it's dead. I'm not sure if this is because it didn't get the room it needed to stay healthy or because we didn't water it enough or give it nutrients...but still I feel guilty as for the past few years we have been buying cut trees and throwing them away like everyone else.
I also know that plastic trees can contain lead just like the big toy scare we've had lately, and who wants to have people near a lead-based tree?! so those are out for me. Besides, they feel very impersonal and anti-traditional.
I really do want to do my part to help here, but I need some answers! How can I convince people to help as well?
Also, in response to some other entries, yeah, cutting trees doesn't cause earthquakes, but what do you think they do? just leave all the stumps standing there? they have to pull those up as well! so some erosion probably does occur, and because they need machines to pull up the stumps, pollution occurs anyway.

I agree with what jpoterbin has to say about articficial treesin his comment THINK ABOUT THIS. besides artificial trees are made up of non-biodegradable plastics. And for every christmas tree that is harvested, upto 3 seedlings are planted in its place next spring. There are more facts about real christmas trees here- http://earth911.org/green-your-holidays/treecycling/Another thing that i would like to point out is that christmas trees must be properly recycled. if you want to know more about how to recycle them this website has several links on that matter- http://earth911.org/green-your-holidays/holiday-recycling-links-and-resources/ 

Why is there such a fuss over holiday vs Christmas? We have a Yule tree, as we are not christians. When did December become the personal property of one religion? I applaud stores and people that embrace all during the season, rather then try to prove some self rightiuos superiority that just doesnt exist.
Christ wasnt born in december, shepherds dont watch flocks in the winter in bethlehem, they do in the spring......
most non christians do not mind being wished a merry Christmas, its the uptight people that freak out if they are wished a happy holiday that is the problem. DO you not think there is Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanza, O-Shogatsu,New Years,and many other holidays in december.Time to take a look around the world and look up the meaning of the word DIVERSITY.

First off I would like to say that cutting the trees and selling them is actually a good thing. As long as there is a market for these trees, people will continue using land to plant and grow lots of trees to make a profit. Once these trees can no longer be sold, they will find alternative uses for the land such as clearing the land for crops, residential areas, commercial buildings, etc. Also, they "cut" the trees down, not dig them up. No soil is loosed and there is no erosion that takes place when this is done. As for causing earthquakes? lol! I don't think we really need to address that.

Everybody can buy a real potted pine tree for a christmas tree. Our family has had the same tree for four years. The tree used to be about five feet but now it is seven feet. It is rather small compared to other normal christmas trees but it is worth it. After a while it has really grown on our family. It is easy to take it from outside to inside each christmas. It really is the best alternatie to buying a dead tree. When it gets to big we will just plant it outside and buy another poted tree. We already have two other previous christmas trees in our yard.
So dont say there is no environmentally friendly christmas tree. A potted tree doesnt harm the environment instead it helps. I hope everybody will consider this for next christmas.

I

It seems to me that after thinking about this for about five minutes I've come to the conclusion that on the outside the fake christmas tree seems like its the way to go, but think again everyone. think again.

Well for one thing producing a fake tree takes electricity and most likely that electricity is coming from a coal burning power plant. I'm not exactly sure how many tons of carbon dioxide is put out into the atmosphere to produce it but it does hurt the atmosphere. Now on the other hand it takes no pollution to create a real christmas tree. Only a some water, sunlight, and a few years and you've got one. But the real catcher is if you end up throwing it out and burning it which produces more pounds of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere because burning wood is the crudest way to produce energy, but millions upon millions of people do it. So it would be more environmentally friendly to buy a fake christmas tree in terms of pounds of carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere because of the filter on the smoke stack of the power plant. But if you do not end up burning your real christmas tree and just let it rot somewhere where it will put the lost nutrients back into the earth then it is the by far the cleanest way to have a christmas tree. And keep in mind that it would take millions of years if not more for the fake christmas tree to decompose.

So with that I propose a plan. If you are going to buy a real christmas tree then you should plant five more. It would be the easiest way to make sure you are replacing the carbon dioxide uptake of the earth and even off setting some of the people who opted to buy the fake christmas tree.

I will start by commending you and the author of this article for referring to the tree as the Christmas tree. Ever so often and increasingly so today, many of us are shying away from the Church and its traditions. For all Christians, Christmas is that special occasion as it marks the birth of our Savior. Jesus Christ was born to this world on this day and it's not only customary, but our duty as Christians to observe and respect this day. If we mark the occasion as is tradition, by decorating a young pine tree, then so be it; the important thing is to celebrate the occasion and a little sacrifice of a pine tree goes a long ways to remind us of this joyous day.

Many entrepreneurs have since turned Christmas trees into a profitable business hence replenish each tree cut by planting two or more as their business’ expands. There is no danger to the environment from this tradition.

We should stay away from plastic because it not only defeats the sacrificial aspect of the tree, but promotes sweat-shops in countries that do not share our religious values. It's is with this in mind that I commended the author of this article for referring to the Christmas tree versus the holiday tree, like most retailers are systematically trending to; "Our trees can be found in the holiday isle". When you go to a store and are send to the holiday isle, insist on getting your tree or ornaments from the Christmas isle. In so doing, you will rekindle the Christmas spirit that is systematically dimming in our society.

Merry Christmas.

I would think plastic is worse, because plastic can not be broken down, it is permanently nondecomposible. What I mean is Christmas trees can be harvested and replanted annually, and then naturally decompose and return to the cycle of life. But plastic trees once made will forever be plastic and can't decompose, and ultimatly they will land up in a  landfill. Not to mention the tons of pollution put in the air when the tree is made at a factory.

I understand the concern, I am a big Global Warming activist myself, but the truth is there are tens of thousands more trees now than there were a century ago. Destroying a tradition in return for an insignificant number of trees to the environment is inane. There are numerous other methods of preserving forests and trees.

cool i love that to

I love christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with wingus it is not like we are going in to the forest to get these trees. They are on Christmas Tree Farms.And ever year they are planted back. Pluse it is a very old trudetion and it is great for the hole family to do togeather.

Most Christain holidays are set on the same dates as pagan holidays, this is because during the begining years of Christianity in order to gain more converts they combined Pagan traditions, such as using evergreens, with Christian ones.In reference to ilyas'  claim that Christmas trees are detramental to the environment, I don't agree with. For one the trees are not just cut down randomly from national parks or anything, they are harvested on Christmas tree farms. Each year the trees are harvested and then replanted for the next year. Kind of like growing corn. Yes it is kind of a waste but the trees are basically no different than any other crop.  

Christmas trees started about the 16th century in a kind of random way. Basically a guy decorated one for the children in the town.Personally, my family uses an artificial tree. It's a lot less of a hassle to put up and take down, it doesn't shed pine needles, and it's better for the environment. I don't think there's really a right or wrong way to do things in this situation though. It's a to each his/her own kind of thing.

I feel that the Christmas tree is just a sign of Christmas. I don't know how trees became Christmas but they did. In my family we get a super small real tree but we have a huge fake tree. I want to know whats the worse thing for the environment. All the plastic and metal which if gets recked is going to who knows wear with all this people that don't care about wear they live, or a small tree which when its done with can be cut and put in a fire place for warmth. I am not trying to be sassy i am just wondering which hurts my earth more.