Editorial: To be real or not to be real

Editorial

To be real or not to be real

Like most families that have been established here in Canada for 6 or 7 generations, my family enjoyed a pretty typical and generic ‘Canadian’ Christmas as did everyone I knew. Of course there were some minor variations among friends and family, such as some friends opened presents on Christmas Eve while many others did as we did and opened them Christmas morning. Stockings went up on Christmas Eve to partner the fresh, just-decorated Christmas tree and the boughs draped over doorways and stairs. We used the old-fashioned strand tinsel that would get everywhere, deliberately and accidentally. (At least one of we three girls would end up dressed as Tinsel Girl before we were done.) We were in the church Christmas pageant every year and we went caroling around the village and in old age homes. In every home, in the church and in our small public schools there were real trees. Christmas tree smells, sounds and the never-goes-away stickiness of tree sap are a permanent part of my idea of Christmas.

When we were teenagers my parents invested in an artificial tree—bizarrely when we were living in Timmins, Ontario, surrounded by Christmassy trees. Since then I haven’t had a real tree, including all these years as an adult (I’m 43).  I purchased my first tree for my own place when my son was seven months old. It was a four foot table model that I donated a few years later when I purchased the seven foot model I still use today. I also inherited my parents five foot tree when they upsized as well to what I laughingly call “A big-assed tree!” and it is. The circumference around the damned thing must be at least four feet! I supposed I have gotten so used to having an artificial tree, and thinking it was an ecological purchase, that a real tree just doesn’t cross my mind now.

Lately though, I have been wondering my place in the real vs. artificial discussions. When I was introduced to artificial trees there wasn’t the hullaballoo about plastics they use in the trees, like there is today. We know now that the PVC in the trees is carcinogenic and some made overseas can contain lead. We know that these trees and the other Christmas ornaments made from PVC will hang around our landfills long after our children’s children are grandparents. We know the real costs to the environment from long distance shipping in massive amounts and we know that outsourcing jobs that could and should be done within our borders(a lot of artificial trees are made in Asia) is akin to slitting ones throat.  Do I still want to use my artificial trees? Do I donate them and effectively pass the buck on to the next family? Do I continue to use them until they CAN recycle PVC? Or until I die, which ever comes first?

Well, some would say that a one time purchase of an artificial tree is better than the gas you burn driving to either a lot or a U-cut farm or the shipping costs for the trees you find in shopping malls etc. I have done some research and it seems that while having a real tree is a viably green thing to have in comparison to an artificial one, there are some drawbacks and a few things to consider when choosing what type of real tree. Yup, you read that right; what type of real tree.

I found a few options online for alternatives to cutting down or getting a cut tree from a retail lot/farm. One such is a live “bulb” tree that goes into the home as a Christmas tree and 4-5 days later it goes outside as a living addition to your landscaping. Of course, this does require some preplanning as the hole has to be dug before ground gets too hard and you must be careful not to let the tree ‘wake up’ but it’s worth it to give Mother Nature a helping hand.

Another option is to decorate an outdoor tree as if it were inside. I like this one as you get to share your decorating talents with the neighbourhood! Or if being on centre stage doesn’t appeal to you, you could always make your own tree using boughs and branches you pick up off the yard or on a nature walk. Stick the flora into a nice heavy pot, decorate with your best ornaments and enjoy a totally free, in all ways, Christmas tree. Charlie Brown, eat your heart out.

If none of those options sound good, purchasing a cut tree from sustainable farms that either minimize or cut out pesticide use altogether is a good compromise. (Some commercial growers will use pesticides on their trees even if they advertise ‘no fertilizer’ as an unspoken assurance that chemicals aren’t used on their trees). Choosing a small, well established business that is local can cut down on the transportation emissions and costs. Cities and towns that do not have a composting or mulching program for Christmas trees will experience overload in the landfills. This problem can be eliminated by either storing the tree as deadfall on owned property and letting nature take it back or by mulching it in a chipper.

So on one hand we have PVC’s, eternity in a landfill, possible lead contamination, transportation emissions for imports, and outsourcing of jobs and on the other hand we have some pesticide use, some irresponsible harvesting, transportation emissions for out of town supplies, beautification possibilities in landscaping, fresh air contributions, and helping the local economy.

I think that when we move to our own land in a few years to build our home and business, the big-assed tree and his little brother won’t be making the trip with us. I hope the next family who gets them will enjoy them for many, many years. But that's just my take on things.


Happy Holidays!
Michelle and Family
2012

Click here for an article on picking the right tree

Click here for an article on choosing a living Christmas tree

all photos in this article ©Michelle Levasseur