got an interesting email this weekend about another angle to consider in the fake vs real tree debate (which is over in my mind)
From: tulis@ Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 7:32 PM To: info@realchristmastrees.org Subject: Another fact...
I have been reading your pages about artificial vs. real trees - another point to consider is that real trees save energy. Fake trees go up after Thanksgiving and don't come down until after New Years. Most real trees are only up about two and half weeks or so. The lights plus all those movable ornaments use up losts of electricity...
well, that's an interesting consideration...although, with no real way to quantify it, putting it up on a chart of facts is probably not a good idea. I'd have to say this about the theory: - Thanksgiving moves backward 1 day on the calendar each year, except leap years, and then jumps forward either 5 or 6 days every 6 years. For example, in 2007 it was on November 22, and this year it will be on Nov 27. - we simply don't know when people put up a tree and I suspect it varies greatly each and every year..so much so, that there's probably not much of a standard deviation -those small tree light strings actually use very little electricity, energy savings would be negligible
I think the main point that escapes most people's thought process is what happens to all fake trees eventually. Because people say they use one for many years, but eventually they will ALL BE THROWN AWAY. And they will sit in landfills for eons never decomposing. That's the real environmental burden, and that's only post-use.
Rick Dungey
what do you think?...post your comments on whether there's an energy savings by having a farm-grown Christmas tree up for shorter periods of time.
An ad for Claritan allergy medicine came across our office the other day. It has some fascinatnig claims about climate change, plant biology and allergies of course.
here's my random take/thoughts on the claritan ad
-"low-allergy trees" ..??????....seriously?....what, are they a root-cutting, sterile species/variety? ...what kind of tree are they planting?...that has about as much credibility as Coke claiming their product is a "low-fat beverage"
-250 acres ...wow....gee that sounds like a lot doesn't it?...especially to the average consumer....pardon the pun, but that's a "leaf in the forest" compared to the millions of acres already covered in natural growth forest, managed forest and tree farms.
-they correctly claim that planting trees removes CO2 from the atmosphere....but fail to explain that the carbon sequestered in the plant tissue is also released back into the atmosphere and other soil compounds when the plant dies and decomposes....its called a cycle, and the average person doesn't understand that...which is why our Real Trees 4 Kids! curriculum is so important, it has a unit on the carbon cycle in the grades 6-8 section http://www.realtrees4kids.org/sixeight/cycles.htm ...middle schoolers understand this, but Claritan is hoping the average consumer doesn't
-here's the main part that gets me though...they claim that climate change has increased CO2 levels, "causing earlier spring allergy seasons and higher pollen levels..." ....first of all, they must not live in the Midwest, where we've had 2 of the worst winters on record the past 2 years and ice-out didn't occur in Minn where I went fishing Memorial Day until 10 days before we got there ....and really, doesn't increased pollen levels actually indicate that plant-life in general is doing better, growing more vigorously and reproducing successfully?....so, on the one hand, they are promoting and planting more plants to lower CO2 levels, but with lower CO2 levels, plant life wouldn't do as well and also saying they have a product to help alleviate a problem caused by more plant life ...??????
I guess I'm such a cynic that I see nothing but contradictions in this.
And I still want to know what a "low-allergy tree" is. The VAST Majority of trees are not an allergen to people, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. In fact, only 1/5th of one percent (o.oo2) of tree species cause allergies. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/asthma/pollen.cfm#tree
It describes labor conditions in China and how workers are not allowed to form unions, negotiate for safe work conditions or higher wages nor get adequate medical care when injured on the job. What I found most interesting was the quotes from workers at a factory making artificial Christmas trees:
The China Labour Bulletin conducted a study of their lives. Ms Zhang, a 21-year-old woman who made artificial Christmas trees, was a typical interviewee. "We worked seven days a week, and we only had three days off a year," she says. "We worked overtime every night until 10 in the evening. The workshop was always filled with smoke. You couldn't see very far. When you entered the room, your eyes burned and watered, and you had difficulty breathing."
One night, Ms Zhang – exhausted and sore-eyed – was pushing plastic through an iron-roller when she felt terrible pain. Her hand was trapped. She was taken to hospital for extensive skin-grafts. Two weeks later the factory abruptly stopped paying for the medical treatment. They told her to get back to work. "I felt like jumping out of a window," she told the researchers. The skin on her hand is still peeling and painful.
"When you enter this factory," another young woman says, "you are under their control. If you get tired and want to stretch your neck or look around, you can't. They won't even allow you to look around!" If you do, you are docked the day's wages. To prevent workers from trying to seek out better factories, it's normal to pay two or three months in arrears. If you quit, do you get the backlog? Never.
I just want to point out that 85% of all fake Christmas trees purchased in the U.S. come from China, according to the Commerce Dept. If you or someone you know uses a fake tree, ask them if this story provides any holiday cheer while they decorate it.
Clearly, the "debate" is settled, but there's nothing wrong with pointing out even more little known facts about Christmas tree farms and how they benefit eco-systems.
Here's a link to an article about a tree farm in North Carolina, which was recently bequeathed to two farm managers along with lots of acreage around it. They are going to sell it to a conservancy group to maintain it as a public use outdoor recreation area, rather than sell to developers.
hmmm....tree farms or more mini-malls? gee, that's an easy choice in my mind.
My two-week Tour De Trees for Troops started this year in St. Louis and took me to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Campbell, KY and Fort Knox, KY. The end of the first week I came home and visited Scott Air Force Base and then traveled to Georgia where I stopped at Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon. It was a whirlwind two weeks, but always worth the trip.
Trees for Troops Weekend, Friday, Nov. 30 – Sunday, Dec. 2, Becky and I worked the Trees for Troops Weekend lot in Chesterfield, MO, where customers could buy a tree and load it onto the FedEx truck. They also had the chance to write a special message on a “tree tag” that would be sent with the tree to a military family. Running a tree lot is a lot more labor intensive than it looks, especially in freezing rain! That didn’t stop customers from coming though!
Fort Leonard Wood Megan (pronounced Meegan) and the folks at Fort Leonard Wood were great. They have a fenced-in area where 30 + military volunteers helped unload the trees for storage that night to be distributed the next day. The FedEx center manager even rode along with the driver to see the delivery. FedEx employees do a great job of visiting many of the bases and helping to unload the trees and the fact that the center manager came along just reinforces their commitment to the Trees for Troops program and the military families it serves.
While we were there we received a “challenge coin” from two of their higher-ranking service members. Challenge coins, I have been told, are not given lightly in the military. They are given by officers to lower-ranking service members and civilians for a job well done. The challenge is the next time you see the person you have to show them your coin or else you must buy them a “beverage” of their choice.
Fort Campbell Fort Campbell has their distribution system very well coordinated with vouchers. Families came one after the other in a steady flow to pick out their perfect tree. Phyllis, Communications Manager for FedEx, helped to distribute coloring books and stuffed teddy bears that were very well received by kids and parents too!
Fort Knox Phyllis and I headed to Fort Knox, where Sherry and her staff were VERY helpful. This was Fort Knox’s first year coordinating the event. I think Sherry was a little nervous that everything would go smoothly, but it all went off without a hitch! Trees were unloaded right before it started to rain, but with Sherry’s advanced planning, everyone could gather under the tents she had set up and drink the hot chocolate provided by FedEx. Phyllis also presented the base with a signed card by FedEx employees.
After Fort Knox, I headed back to St. Louis where I visited Scott Air Force Base. There must have been a line a mile long, but everyone in the line received a tree by the end of the night. The snow and hot chocolate and Christmas music provided by the USO really put everyone in the Christmas Spirit!
Fort Benning On Dec. 9, I headed to Atlanta, GA and then drove a couple of hours to Fort Benning. The weather was beautiful, 70 degrees, and I had packed sweaters. Darlene, the base coordinator of the program, was loving life in her shorts. Her two outdoor recreation assistants, Jesse and John, were there again this year to help unload. Even though Jesse had taken another job on base, he still came back to help unload the trees. Elsie, Public Affair Officer for Fort Benning, was also on site helping with the media. One of my favorite pictures from the Trees for Troops Program came from Fort Benning. Here it is!
Mike Brumby’s Pick-up From Fort Benning I drove to Tifton, GA where I met up with Mike Brumby and his wife, Moppie and received a great tour of the farm. They are one of the larger farms in Georgia so there was plenty to see! I especially enjoyed Mike’s “test” area where he had experimented with growing different types of trees.
The next morning many members of the local community came out to show their support and help load the trees, including the Sheriff, who had purchased 10 trees to go to families.
Fort Stewart At Fort Stewart, I met up with Greg again and also James Ellison, base coordinator. James had volunteers from the BOSS program (Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers) available to help unload. They always have a fun group who enjoys helping out even if they aren’t the ones receiving the trees.
Fort Gordon Fort Gordon was my last stop. Like Camp Lejeune, they have a “drive-by” Trees for Troops where families drive up in a parking lot and select their tree. A higher ranking officer was picking out her tree and she said “Where’s FedEx?” I told her that although I wasn’t with FedEx I represented the Foundation that helped to provide the trees. She thanked me and said it was a great thing we were doing for their soldiers.
2007 has been the best year yet for Trees for Troops! Just take a look at the numbers below:
Number of Trees Delivered: nearly 17,000
Number of Trees Shipped Overseas: 400
Number of Countries: 7
Number of Participating Farms/Lots: 750-800
Number of Participating States: 29
Number of Trailer Drop Locations: 40
Number of Military Bases: 37 (all branches of service, including National Guard and Coast Guard)
Number of FedEx air miles (for overseas shipments): 17,000
Number of FedEx over-the-road miles: more than 51,000
Thank you to everyone involved with the program. I truly have enjoyed working with everyone I have met. A special thank you to all of the military men and women and their families who serve our country every day! Thank you!
What a wild and wacky day. The Web site was down for a while. Suffice it to say, that makes for a difficult time at the association because we rely on the Web site to disseminate so much information, including this blog.
We received more “best tree for a cat” questions today...it’s kind of weird how a topic will be asked about in bunches. We received 5 or 6 questions about cats and Christmas Trees in a 24 hour period. In addition to what I replied yesterday, a comprehensive web site that has tips for pet safety during the holidays is http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-27-2003-48932.asp.
We’re having great media coverage of the Trees for Troops program. FedEx picked up trees in New York state, Minnesota and Oregon today. Tomorrow they are picking up trees in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and California.
Found an interesting news story today broadcast on an Atlanta TV station. There was a scientist from a university in North Carolina urging people to heed the warning labels on fake trees that they contain lead. Of course, here in St. Louis, we’re well aware of the health hazards of lead. Yet another reason to use a natural farm-grown Christmas Tree instead of a fake, plastic one. We have collected other not-so-well-known tidbits about fake trees on the “Fake Tree” page.
This blog is maintained by the staff of the National Christmas Tree Association, and reader questions are answered by Public Relations Manager Rick Dungey, who has responded to consumer and media inquiries since 1998. Your thoughts and comments are welcome, but will be read and approved by staff before they are posted publicly. They must be germaine to the topic and add information of value to the discussion or at least be an interesting / unique opinion.
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