The more environmentally friendly tree is the one that never was cut to use it (and will end if it is lucky in the compost bin---otherwise in the landfill generating extra carbon footprint)or that one that never was produced with plastic normally and at some point will be disposed in the landfill (even if you reuse it).

If you really want to continue with the Tree tradition, get one that can stay in a pot. Not all the species grow as fast.

Why don't we plant a tree somewhere in the near vicinity and decorate that tree every year instead of all these controversy and complications? make things simple and viable. cutting a real tree or a buying plastic tree is all contrary to 'going green'. sure these 2 things keep commerce alive and robust but bad for the environment.

I agree that the best solution for the city is to pick a good location and grow our own tree, to use each year without cutting it down.

My grandfather used to have a fir in a giant pot. He wheeled that sucker in every year on Thanksgiving and wheel it back out on New Year's day. I personally don't bother getting a tree. Decorating outside is just as much fun. :-)

My understanding is that some conifers do better in pots than other varieties.

I encourage everyone to give a potted tree a try! You have to trim it, but they last decades.

Real Christmas trees are a farmed product. Every tree that gets cut is re-grown. Because of Christmas Tree sales, there are MORE trees in existance in the world, grown in a sustainable manner.

I'm just grateful we still call it a Christmas tree.

Me too, Ed. A Christmas tree it is.

Dee

Merry Christmas, Ed.

I have always had a real tree but went with an artificial tree a few years ago for fire safety reasons.

Fear not those concerned w/ being green. A xmas tree nowadays is basically a row crop, farmed and harvested just like any other crop.
If you want to reduce your carbon foot print though, cut a local tree
from 10 miles away. We do have some pretty amazing mountains close to (ahem) _Mountain_ View with great tree farms atop Page Mill road and more further to the south. Its unfortunate that so many buy a tree grown hundreds and hundreds of miles away./ Many lot trees are trucked in to town from Oregon or Washington.
In the grand scheme of things, though, that's just a blip, so really, aside from it being nice to support local growers in a local economy, don't worry, and just have a Merry Christmas

I definitely recommend cutting your own *local* tree (if you can't use a potted tree or other live one in your backyard). The trees definitely regrow when cut correctly (the tree we cut this year was growth from a tree that had been cut several times before), and it's a great family experience. Just remember to check the dog for ticks when you're done.

Oh, and the Douglas Fir is MUCH lighter than the Noble Fir. I can manhandle an 11' Douglas by myself, but it took two of us a *considerable* effort to upright an 11' Noble in our house a few years ago. Lots of huffing, puffing, and swearing.

"They're almost all made of PVC plastic, and there is a fair amount of BPA in it, which is a chemical that has been found to have some health concerns in animals."

Mr. Linebarger doesn't know diddly squat. Just how much is a "fair amount?" IS there any BPA even present? Has he had the PVC tree tested for BPA?

It should be called a pagan tree cause we are celebrating the equinox not Jesus b-day (that is in august. Lets plant a trees not kill them.