Should the EU ban the trade on Christmas Trees?

jillyb1

Strict atheist myself , but love the happy caring vibes around christmas time . If having a real tree makes people feel good then see no reason to prevent them from having one . Surely most of those trees are grown specifically for that purpose so why not let them be used and enjoyed . Jillyb

jillyb1

Oh dear , oh dear , wars ; famines ; drought ; disease ; death and slaughter in this imperfect world of ours ; but obviously a few trees to cheer up peoples' festive days are of more importance . I apologise profusely - how dare anyone have fun at christmastime . Jillyb

dreamdaisy

Our LA runs a scheme where real trees can be either replanted or shredded for compost. I've never had a real tree due to being intolerant (they trigger asthma for me) so I have a planet-destroying artificial one: it created filth when it was made and will create filth when its life is done. Real ones are by far and away the better option, they are far more 'green' (boom-boom!) Surely wood is a crop, just like wheat or grapes. Anyhoo, it stems (boom-boom!) from the Germans, doesn't it? Wasn't Prince Albert the one who introduced this habit -didn't we used to bring in foliage and shrubbery such as laurel and holly? DD

joanlawson

Hi Tody

I'm glad that you are well, but not glad that you will be on your own at Christmas, unless that is how you prefer to be. This is an interesting topic, and there are points for and against real Christmas trees.

I can understand your objection to growing trees in order to cut them down. However, artificial trees have an impact on the environment.
An artificial tree may be used for 5, 10, or 15 years… but eventually it will be disposed of it in favour of something new. Unfortunately, most artificial trees are not biodegradable and cannot be recycled, so their disposal has a significant impact to the environment. If disposed in a landfill, artificial trees will never breakdown but rather permanently remain in landfills. If disposed of by incineration, the PVC in artificial trees will emit into the atmosphere dioxins and other carcinogens into the air.

On the other hand, when the holidays are over a real tree can be recycled. The branches and trees can be ground into mulch. The mulch provides a protective barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need.

When the time comes for harvesting the trees, each tree that is cut down must be replaced. So most tree farms plant 1 to 3 new trees for every one that is cut, in order to to maintain a constant supply. So fortunately the tree population is not reduced due to Christmas tree farming; but instead is maintained, protected, and in many instances increased.

Joan

tkachev

DD I didn't know they triggered asthma! I love a real tree and a real fire in my December house. It is part of the joys of xmas.

Joan has given a good balance as artificial trees also cause problems long term.

Elizabeth

mellman01

Trouble with fir trees is not much live in or on them due to swaths of them killing of any idea of biodiversity we humans are to blame on that score, they also kill off all ground plants so nothing grows under them, that said what will people do use plastic trees instead?, if so I'll still plump for real trees at least the rot away.

prefabkid47

Hi Tody
One major flaw in your argument if the EU banned the trade in real Christmas trees............... :shock:
Look at any box containing an artificial Christmas tree.......what is the country of manufacture.............CHINA!!!!!!!!!
So
a)no new jobs would be created in this country (we could not compete on price).
b)Knowing China's reputation for pollution,how would this benefit the environment?

This definitely is not rocket science!

Airwave!

Jeans n sneakers take me back to the sixties!

Atheists are the biggest (historically) users of fir trees for pagan midwinter celebrations.

The next thing that brings comment is not to let the EU decide what nations or local communities do, especially on a small scale otherwise we will lose our identities very quickly.

Fir trees have little other use so why not chop them down! ......only thing that annoys is that they are not burnt for a good reason i.e. heat and cooking.

tonesp

If the EU doesn't stop it the recession will I was reading that real tree sales are about to slump as more people are buying artificial ones that they can use again

mellman01

If the trade did stop then all those plastic trees will be imported from China and made of none biodegradable plastic so it's sadly a no for me we rely on imports to much as it is. If the EU wanted to really help things out then it would ban imports of food from cheap sources abroad, we have good husbandry standards here in the UK but people still go for cheap Danish c**p, pigs that simply stand in feeding crates all day unable to turn round standing on concrete floor with no chance of doing what piggies love to do and that's wallow in mud and root for bugs, Danish meat is tasteless full of water and antibiotics and the pigs have a short miserable life of it. Same goes for chickens, I don't buy any meat that is not English and not properly free range, I get all my meat from a small micro farm in the village of my birth it costs more but it tastes better and I can see with my own eye's how the animals are kept.