It
is essential that people buy real Christmas trees at Christmas time
because, without a commercial purpose, they would not be grown in such
large numbers. There are many benefits in buying real Christmas trees but
only the benefits to the environment are considered here.
Real Christmas trees
in Ireland are usually grown in special Christmas tree farms in much the same way as other farm produce is
grown. This means that they are planted specially for Christmas tree
production, they are tended and looked after during their growing period
and, at the appropriate time, they are harvested. Furthermore, each tree that is harvested in December is
usually replaced in January by another. Therefore, the buying of real
Christmas trees does not "denude the forests" as some people seem to
believe.
In
general, real Christmas trees require a period of eight to ten years to reach market
size. In this time, these Christmas trees, and the surrounding hedgerows,
provide an attractive and much-needed refuge for birds and other forms of wildlife.
Real
Christmas
trees make an essential contribution to the atmosphere, -- cleansing it of
carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen (called "carbon
sequestration"). Therefore, the growing of real Christmas
trees helps us to meet our commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol , which
requires Ireland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to just 13% above
their 1990 levels by 2012.
We must remember, however,
that this carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere if real Christmas trees decay or are burnt. Therefore, in order to maintain
the sequestration of carbon, it is vital to continue replanting
each year.
Artificial
Christmas trees, on the other hand, release carbon
dioxide that has been locked up in fossilised form for millions of years.
They also produce toxic hydrocarbons as a by-product
of the manufacturing process and if they are subsequently burnt. See
http://www.cqs.com/edioxin.htm
Our
county councils now have established recycling programmes to "chip"
real
Christmas trees when they are thrown out after Christmas, converting them into a valuable
mulch which can then be used in parks and other amenity areas. We suggest that you take
your tree along to your local county council depot after Christmas and they will be very
happy to take it from you. It is nice to know that, in doing so, you are contributing to
the beauty of our parks.
Please
do not leave any metal, such as a stand screw, in the butt of the
Christmas tree as it will destroy the blades of the chipper.
Alternatively, you can simply strip
the branches from the stem with a seccateurs. Stand the stem to dry over
the Summer in a corner of your garage. It will make excellent firewood.
The branches can be easily disposed of in your regular garden waste.
