So going along with our December theme of Jolly Green Holiday advice, this week we’re talking about Christmas Trees and Lights. Okay, don’t get all tense and defensive on us already. We know you like your tree. We know that twinkly lights are oh-so-pretty. We know you need these things just to make it feel like the holiday season. Okay. Are you done now?
The truth is the best solution to the Christmas tree debate is to either: A) Convert to Judaism and celebrate Hanukkah with the original eco-friendly holiday accessory: the Menorah (Special note for Jewish friends: Go the extra mile this year—get beeswax Hanukkah candles—many others are made with petroleum and harmful toxins. You can find the beeswax menorah candles at: http://store.gxonlinestore.org/chanukahcandles.html and if you order today, they’ll get them to you by Hanukkah this Saturday), or B) DITCH OUT ON YOUR TREE. Ditch out on your tree? “I’m down with recycled candy-wrapper purses,” you may be thinking, “But no tree on Christmas? You girls have gone too far…”
Maybe we have, but when you consider that it takes 7 to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree, whose useful product life is ends up being less than a month, you might start feeling a little silly. Plus, that magnificent tree you gather around on Christmas morning is most likely grown on a tree farm that use large amounts of pesticides.
It’s no shock that the greenest route to go is forgoing the tree all together. Or, lots of people turn to live potted trees. Then it’s not like you’re killing a tree. You can keep your little tree in your house or apartment for years. (Unless you’re like Jessica and
But if you (or your pesky un-green family who wield authority on matters pertaining to Christmas trees) insist on some sort of tree, we have advice. Shockingly, ARTIFICAL TREES MAY NOT BE THE WAY TO GO. We were surprised too. An artificial tree might seem like the greener option, since no real tree is being destroyed and it can be reused year after year. But they’re usually made of PVC, an evil plastic substance. From its manufacture to its disposal, PVC emits toxic compounds. During the manufacture of the building block ingredients of PVC, dioxin and other pollutants that cause global warming are emitted into the air, water and land. During use, PVC products can leach toxic additives (YES, that means your tree will be leaching toxins!) Even worse, lead is used to stabilize certain PVC products, which is why you'll see a label on faux trees cautioning you to avoid inhaling or eating any bits of lead dust that may fall from the "branches" on Christmas morning. Finally, when PVC reaches the end of its life, it cannot be recycled. It can be either land-filled, where it leaches toxic additives, or incinerated, again emitting dioxin and heavy metals. Gross.
So are we (gasp!) suggesting real Christmas trees over artificial? We just may be…Christmas tree farms are at least somewhat sustainable. When you cart your tree off, they’ll plant another one to sell a few years down the line. In the meantime it’ll be turning carbon dioxide into oxygen and providing habitats for animals. However, MOST tree farmers use harmful pesticides and other chemicals, so it’s worth it to find a local organic grower. Or a family-run farm that can answer your questions about pesticides. Finally, if you get a real tree, you MUST RECYCLE IT. Simply cut and put it in the GREEN TRASH CANS provided by the city. If you do not have a green trash can, there are several places online in which you can find out the best way to recycle your tree (our fave site: http://www.earth911.org). If you live in
Onto lights….Each year holiday lighting generates 885,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 4,800 tons of sulfur dioxide and 2,800 tons of smog!! California Independent System Operator, the nonprofit agency that oversees 75% of the state's power supply, estimates that in
Must you use those lights? Can’t you just put some eco-friendly ornaments on the damn thing and call it a day (P.S., there are some great recycled glass ornaments at http://www.3rliving.com/category_s/49.htm )? We hope the above stats have made you feel a bit more obligated to ditch out on the twinklies, but again, if you insist, there are a little something called LED Christmas lights. They use much less electricity (about 1/10 the amount of the average string of lights), reduce pollution from power plants and last longer. They do cost more than traditional strings of lights, but the electricity savings easily make up the cost difference within a season or two. Where can you buy them? Surprise, surprise…AMAZON was one of the best we found. They have tons in every color. (Please remember that if you go to Amazon through our site, a percentage of your purchase will go to Green is the New Pink). In the name of fairness, you can find some at Home Depot, Lowes and many other hardware stores), but the selection is wider at Amazon and the prices are better.
Whether you quit Christmas trees and lights cold turkey this year or can’t seem to part with your X-mas traditions, we hope you all will at least REDUCE your waste in some way. If you’re going home for Christmas and your mom insists on a tree, don’t get one for your apartment, too. Bring her home some LED lights, too. Or cut out the lights. So, go ahead, do something, whatever it is you feel you can sacrifice in order to give the earth a little present this holiday season, too.
2 comments:
I am so happy that there are other reasons to obliterate fake Christmas trees other than the fact that they are one of the tackiest things known to man...spread the word people!
Mazel Mazel
Post a Comment