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Re: Christmas Trees
seaseal@aol.com wrote:
>
> Dear Editor,
>
>When
> you don't buy a slowly dying tree, you will give quite a gift-you actively
> will be reducing deforestation, soil erosion, flooding, and
> desertification. You will be raising air quality, reducing CO2, increasing
> oxygen production and saving space at the dump. What a present!
Hi Cicele,
I wish I could agree with you, but in the case of Christmass trees you
are actually promoting the exact opposite of what you suggest. Let me
address your position point by point and you and others may conclude as
I have that purchasing a Christmas tree and ensuring that it is mulched
when finished is an excellent contribution to the environment.
1. Deforestation
Hardly any Christmas trees are cut from the wilderness. Nearly all are
from Christmas tree farms. Not buying Christmas trees does nothing to
protect native forests.
2. Soil erosion
Nearly all Christmas trees are grown by people in rural communities on
marginal land that is subject to erosion or was the victim of erosion.
Christmas tree farming is a method of subsidizing the cost of planting a
sustainable wood lot that prevents erosion.
3. Flooding
Again, tree planting helps improve the soil holding capacity of marginal
rural lands. Not purchasing Christmas trees reduces demand, which
reduces the lands planted, which actually may increase flooding.
4. Desertification
I believe that you are mistaking Christmas tree cultivation with clear
cutting of native forests. The two issues have little in common. I
know of no evidence which suggests that Christmas tree harvesting
results in desertification.
5. Air Quality
I am at a loss. How can you suggest that the disappearance of hundreds
of thousands of acres in tree farms could improve air quality? If no
one bought Christmas trees, these trees would not be planted and the
sustainable values of these trees as air purifiers would be lost. No
Christmas tree farmer I know, of which I know dozens, would think of
clear cutting their wood lot or not replanting in equal quantities to
their harvest. The air around Christmas tree farms is wonderful!
6. Decreasing CO2
Again, the exact opposite would occur if people stopped buying Christmas
trees. Where marginal lands once existed, now there are tens of
millions of Christmas trees growing. They are sequestering carbon in
their biomass, the decaying roots hold carbon for decades after the tree
is gone, and other plants that grow in the same fields also serve as a
carbon bank. If properly mulched, the carbon storing benefits of
Christmas trees continues even longer. The amount of CO2 lost to the
atmosphere if these trees were not growing would be tragic. Tree
farming reduces soil plowing and allows the organic matter levels in the
earth to increase. If the trees were gone, greedy farmers might
consider planting corn or other non-renewable resources, plowing up the
soil, and contributing to global warming at accelerated rates. Most
scientists I know of recommend tree planting as a means of reducing
atmospheric warming. How can you suggest that tree planting contributes
to CO2 build-up?
7. Oxygen production
James Lovelock's Gaia principal demonstrates that atmospheric O2 levels
are regulated by a complex interaction between lightning and fires, and
that the atmosphere has not fluctuated one iota from its 20.6% O2 level
in over three hundred fifty million years. Planting or not planting
trees, cutting or not cutting them is not an issue that will impact
atmospheric O2 levels. And even if it did, planting MORE Christmas
trees would be a solution, not reducing the demand for them. If you
really want to stimulate O2 production and CO2 reduction, I think that
you should be encouraging people to use Christmas trees, or at least
recommending live trees which are kept in the house and then planted in
the yard, rather than trying to depress demand for them.
8. Saving Space at the Dump
This is one point where I agree with you. I am opposed to all valuable
organics such as leaves, grass clippings, paper, brush, and wood
products including Christmas trees being landfilled. These items should
be mulched and composted. I think that it is wonderful that we
consumers can afford to help subsidize the transfer of biomass from one
region to another, and with properly managed composting and mulching
operations, these organics can find beneficial uses by improving the
topsoil.
>
> I read that over a hundred million trees may be cut down for Christmas
> celebrations in the U.S. alone. You may contribute to this mass
> destruction and be a part of this wasteful practice or you can say, "No!"
>
Again Cecile, you have your information out of perspective. If it takes
ten years to produce a marketable Christmas tree, that means that over
one BILLION trees are under cultivation to supply our annual Yule
festivals. If there were no Christmas, these trees would not be in
existence since nearly all were planted to support the demand for
Christmas trees. Keep in mind that over one hundred million Christmas
trees will also be planted this year to replace the ones that are being
used to liven people's homes before being turned into beneficial mulch.
Perhaps if we could get ten million MORE people buying real Christmas
trees rather than the horrid plastic ones, then there could be an
increase of sustainable trees planted which would provide wonderful
benefits for the environment. I say no to landfilling, but YES! to real
trees for Christmas.
One last word. I admire the families I know that plant trees each year,
care for them, trim them carefully, and take the risk of market
conditions to bring a bit of life to many people's homes. They work
hard for the opportunity to make a living in the country and rely on the
purchase of trees for Christmas to keep them going. Tree planting is an
essential component of sustainable agriculture and a key resource which
helps support sustainable communities.
I would ask you to reconsider your position and put your focus where it
will do more good such as promoting live trees and organics recovery
programs in your community and bringing an end to the wasteful practice
of landfilling beneficial soil nutrients.
Seasons greetings from
Jim the Compost Man~
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