Do you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
Fake?
Gross.
Don’t you know that most fake trees are fabricated in China with a bunch of chemicals
and that you probably hate Christmas.
...I have a fake tree too.
I don’t feel good about it.
It’s just so convenient.
Guys, lets talk about the wonderful world of Christmas trees and how they affect the
world around us.
According to numbers compiled and crunched by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics
Service and the NCTA – that’s the National Christmas Tree Association – not to be confused
with the National Cat Tickling Alliance – the number of trees sacrificed in the name of
festive merriment each year, in the US alone is around 25 to 33 million.
Now, these numbers were procured from the thousands of Christmas tree retailers in the
states, but the stats don’t account for the rugged traditionalists that trudge through
mounds of bone-chilling snow in the wilderness, braving the elements to cut down their own
dang tree cause that’s how their daddy did it.
84% of the 33 million trees are of the pre-cut types found on Christmas tree lots, or inside
garden centers, or even over the internet because we live in some weird future society
where you can do that apparently, while the remaining 16% fell victim to those who purchase
their trees from choose and cut lots, which are tree farms where you choose your wooden
prize and cut it down with your own two hands.
Exciting.
Now, 33 million sounds like an alarming number of trees whacked down in the name of presents,
and it is a lot, but remember, they’re harvested from tree farms and the stock is constantly
replenished, 1 to 3 saplings for every timber cried out into the cold winter night.
In fact, according to the NCTA 350 million trees are thriving on tree farms from over
15,000 growers in America right now.
Remember, we’re just talking the United States, if we add Europe to the arbor carnage,
that’s an extra 50 to 60 million chopped for Christmas.
Money-wise, each year, when it comes to x-mas trees, Americans, on average, drop somewhere
around a billy.
That’s a lazy way of saying a billion dollars.
Now, it’s important to point out that there are a lot of pros and cons associated with
Christmas Tree farming.
Pro x-mas tree farm people point out that the farms create thriving habitats for wildlife,
not just with a thick abundance of trees, but with private ponds and waterways as well.
The trees also stabilize soil and pump out all sorts of oxygen into the air.
And we like oxygen.
Christmas tree opponents bah-humbug the situation and highlight the use of pesticides and fertilizers
that ferry harmful chemicals into surrounding environments.
That’s not good.
It’s feliz navibad.
There could also be a negative effect on the biodiversity of an area if all you got is
just row after row of douglas fir, which happens to be one of the most popular types of trees
harvested for the season, along with the fraser fir, balsam fir, Colorado Blue Spruce, Scottish
Pine, Virginia Pine, and the Eastern Red Cedar, but in the end, choice really comes down to
what region of the world you spend the holidays.
So everyone, what type of tree do you sing carols around every year?
Fake?
Real?
Spruce?
Fir?
Do you do that cool upside down tree thing that some people do?
Enchant us with your Christmas traditions down below and don’t forget to subscribe.