Real Christmas Trees
|
Fake Christmas Tree
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| • Real Christmas trees are plantation grown on
American family farms, making an important economic contribution to
many rural communities in the United States. |
• Fake Christmas trees are made
in Korea, Taiwan, or China. Importing artificial trees contributes
to the US trade deficit. |
| • Real Christmas trees absorb
carbon dioxide and other harmful "greenhouse" gases and release
fresh oxygen into the air. |
• Fake Christmas trees are made
from nonrenewable plastics. The manufacture of petroleum-based
plastics use up natural resources. Once used, they are gone
forever. |
| • One acre of Christmas trees provides the
daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. There are about 500,000
acres of Christmas trees in the United States which collectively
provide oxygen for 9 million people daily. Young, fast-growing
trees like Christmas trees release more oxygen than mature forest
trees. |
• Furthermore, the manufacture of
both plastic and metal components in the tree consume energy and
create pollution. |
• For every Real Christmas tree harvested,
another one is planted in its place to ensure a steady supply year
after year. Christmas
tree fields support turkey, quail, songbirds, rabbits and
deer. |
• The average use of a Fake
Christmas tree is only 6 or 7 years. Eventually, they all go to the
landfill as garbage. |
| • Real Christmas trees are a renewable,
recyclable resource. After the holidays, Real trees are chipped
into biodegradable mulch, which replenishes soil in landscapes,
parks, and schools. Most communities offer recycling programs. |
• Fake Christmas trees are not
biodegradable. The plastics and metals that they contain, including
lead, will remain in our landfills for centuries. |
| • Recycled Real Christmas trees are also used
as wind and water barriers at beaches and river beds to fight sand
and soil erosion. They protect our water supplies, and provide
refuge for wildlife. When sunk in ponds, they provide excellent
refuge and feeding areas for fish. |
• Three Asian wood-boring beetle
species have been imported to America on the wooden trunks of Fake
trees. Undetected, these insects could attack native forest trees
and lumber. |
| • The safest Christmas tree is a fresh,
well-watered tree. A Real tree has never started a fire. Faulty
Christmas lights, candles and fireplaces can start tree fires. |
• When a Fake Christmas tree
catches fire, it releases dangerous toxic fumes into the home |