Say No To Live Christmas Trees!
Sadly, Christmas today is not so much a time of sharing any more, but more a time of much excess; and so another dutiful look at the environmentally outrageous, wasteful traditions encouraged by a consumer driven 'festive season of excess.'
Another look then, from Christmases past, at some of the brighter alternatives on offer for those with a non-consumerist, eco-conscious, creative eye at Christmas. As well a glimpse from a future Christmas as we wind our way through the maze of frantic Christmas Tree and gift giving, that will no doubt soon ensue in your household.
If only people still realised that TIME is the best gift you can give anyone, but more of that later.. for now, let us start with ...
Traditions
No harm there, well not until the 16th century ~ with the rise of a wasteful bourgeoisie class of society ~ that fir trees were first dragged indoors at Christmas time and decorated as a matter of wealth and social standing rather than symbolic homage.
The facts
Whilst it is true there are about 21,000 Christmas Tree growers in the U.S today with commercial farms to compensate, it is also true that it takes as many as 15 years to grow a tree of above average retail sale height; with the average commercial growing time around seven years for two metres (6/7 feet). It is also true that the growing of seven year old trees is not a valid contribution to absorbing the earths CO2, as trees do not get their full breathing capacity until just on seven years.
With a population of 12 billion expected by 2050, and with only 2% of the land on earth now covered with trees, it is not unrealistic to predict that we are heading towards exceeding the earths capacity to (a) supply such a demand, or (b) continue to produce air and rain from underdeveloped tree farms.
All this just so that another tree can slowly die over a period of a week in your loungeroom, releasing as it does large amounts of stored CO2 into the households of the world?! With these statistics it would seem far more sensible for Christmas tree farms to produce food by 2050 than dying Christmas trees.
It takes only one (1) acre of growing Christmas trees to produce the daily oxygen needed for 18 people and various species of animal, to remain alive; and almost double that figure when the tree reaches the ripe old age of 10 years old.
In a world that is slowly beginning to irreversably change and die around us, it makes sense to seek out alternatives to cutting down anything that is living and converting CO2 into oxygen. At least as consumers to stop and think and not support it? If you are one of these advanced, productive thinkers I salute you and I would like to offer some creative alternatives for your Christmas Trees of the future.
Some Alternatives to Cut Christmas Trees
1. Grow a Fir, Pine or Spruce Tree in the Garden and Decorate it each year.
A growing tree will grow with your children and become a poignant memory of home, hearth and all the love that they received there. As the tree gets bigger it remains a source of endless fun for the children to climb it each year in order to decorate it, and after seven years it is a natural filter for CO2.
There are alternative solar lights now available on the market for decorating the tree, which can be left on all year.
2. Potted Dwarf Christmas Trees by the Score
There are many varieties of dwarf conifer that come in pots and grow to various heights. Check your nursery for the latest varieties.
3. Cloth and Recycled Junk Christmas Trees.
A project for the whole family, making your own Christmas tree can become a great tradition, especially if you get the whole family in on the fun. Andrea of joytotheplanet says:
The only rule here is: use your imagination. How about a beautiful clear tree made from used water bottles, or a wooden tree from scrap lumber? Empty egg cartons, old computer parts, any kind of junk from your yellow recycling bin, can be made into a cool and
unique tree. Talk about the true meaning of Christmas!
4. Inflatable, Neon and Wall Hanging Christmas Trees.
You could also try a nice Neon Christmas Tree which takes care of both the twinkling lights and Christmas Tree all in one flick of a switch.
Why not make your own? Try this LINK for a page of patterns and ideas.
5. Bonsai Christmas Trees
5. Why Not Go Troppo?
Remember : Axed Trees are Dying Trees emitting tons of CO2 into the air across the planet.!
WARNING : The current trend of Cheaper Chinese artificial Christmas tree (found by the dozen in discount stores) are generally made from PVC or plastic based materials, with a half life of 25 years. They are NOT good for the environment when found in landfills, so avoid them, unless you intend to reuse it year after year to establish your household as an Eco Tree family.
NEXT UP : ALTERNATIVE GIFT IDEAS
Sources and photos :
Really Long Link
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Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Christmas past Lilla, I'm not having a tree at all although I love REAL ones, but as I'm not having one we'll not have to argue, I adore your new colour scheme, it is sensational, well done, maybe I'll be inspired, but it is a lot of trouble, u know "what the hell does that mean" kind of thing, I guess two colours helps, but WELL DONE.
Mum's Word
I use the art that the kids do at school as my Christmas decorations. I keep it and put it back up the following year.
I do have a plastic tree that I reuse every year and have done so for about 8 years now.
But here's something that might tickle your fancy. A couple of weeks ago I went to the Rocks here in Sydney and they lit a tree totally made up from chairs that people donated. At the end of Xmas they are going to sell the chairs for $5 each with money raised going to Starlight. The chair tree looks pretty good.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
A Lot of Scrap
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In Zoo
Great post!
From The Home Front
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I do know what you mean, although it was easier re~doing *lol* albeit I almost went out of my mind with respect for myself at having mastered it the first time? I must have been tripping on cocoa and chocolate cake, or something! Thank you for the compliment, I like the harmony and balance of it. Sand and sky; land and ice ~ type stuff.
I am only dragging my tree out because the children are still at home.
I hope yours is a very happy one in all the simple pleasures.
Lilla ...
From The Home Front
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That sounds WONDERFUL!!! I will go and see if I can google something up on the net about it. What a worthy cause, too... ooh and the flood of memories that talking about the Rocks bought back. I used to live at Neutral Bay and spent most weekends in and around the Rocks, marvelling at all the amazing things that go on there. Some of the best years of my life spent there.
Nice to know that more and more people have switched from real trees to real considerations. Not to mention conveinience. You can get that Christmas smell ina bottle now and burn it in the oil burner, too. The oil is called Christmas.
I hope you all have a great Christmas!
Lilla ...
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Thanks for the compliment, lovely to know it has inspired some!
I hope your Christmas is bright and Merry.
Lilla ...
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Good on you, now if only we could convince the millions of others on the planet to do the same, imagine all that CO2 that could be nuetralised.
Thanka for helping keep the dream alive.
Lilla ...
Love Speaks
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Merry Christmas
From The Home Front
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Wow, that sounds wonderful, how big was it?
I have a lot of crystal in my home, mostly hanging in windows waiting for the sun to hit them at various times of the day; when my house lights up with a thousand prisms of colour. It is all free and quite special.
I can imagine a hige crystal tree inside the window, doing the same thing when the sun hits it WOW!! wouldn*t that be something special and uber~echo~friendly!
I hope yours is special too and lights up with all the prisms of love needed to make it a wonderful 2009.
Lilla ...
Love Speaks
Food Slate
It wasn't very big, just about 25cm, nice and handy for a side-table, centerpiece -- tried looking for a pix, but couldn't locate an appropriate one.
Thanks for your lovely wishes, back to you...
See you around
Love those ideas, especially the hanging cloth ones yu make yourself!
My mother used to go down to the park, below us on Cremorne Point, and get a fallen old tree limb, (no not a huge one..teee hee!), and she would stick that in a pot so it overhung the dining table and decorated it with the usual stuff. We loved it, our friends thought we were a bit mad, afterall, this was in the late sixties to seventies! (Oh, then it caught on for awhile, as one of our Christmases was featured in Vogue!)
I hope you have a lovely Chrissy and may your New Year bring you much joy and luck!
cheers,
your pal,
fog
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well there goes another week, sorry for the delay, been away ... far, far away ... in anotehr galaxy and it was so peaceful there too.. ergm... where was I, oh yes... I just loved your mums creativity. She sounds like a true trend setter, creative people usually are... and if you do things long enough, the fashion comes back around ... Your childhood christmases sounded like they were wonderful and I hope you are enjoying a wonderfull Christmas holiday season, filled with love and laughter.!
Lilla xx