<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">What's happening?</h2>

In 1848, a picture was printed in a British newspaper. It showed Queen VictoriaThe Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. Her reign is known as the Victorian era. and her German husband Prince Albert with a tree inside their home for Christmas. Soon everyone wanted one. 

Today, people around the world decorate Christmas trees. But while some people are struggling to fit freshly cut live trees into their car, others are reaching into the attic for a sparkly plastic version. 

Both are a popular choice. In North America, 25 million trees are cut down for Christmas every year. Meanwhile, sales of fake trees have doubled in the last 10 years.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Find out more</h2>

Is one better than the other? Most modern fake trees are made of plastic and making them produces greenhouse gasesGreenhouse gases, which increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold heat, are vital to life on Earth: without them the planet would be freezing. But human activity is disturbing the delicate balance that created the conditions for life as we know it. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the manmade greenhouse effect, but we also produce smaller quantities of methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are even more damaging..

Real trees take in carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas.  from the air. But if they end up being thrown away, rather than replanted or burned, they produce methaneA particularly strong greenhouse gas produced by fossil fuels and cattle., which is worse. 

Yes! We must stop killing trees - if you keep one fake tree for many years and do not throw it away it is better for the planet. 

No! The feel and smell of a real tree is much better than a fake one. And it is not good to have too many plastic things.

Queen Victoria - The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. Her reign is known as the Victorian era.

Greenhouse gases - Greenhouse gases, which increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold heat, are vital to life on Earth: without them the planet would be freezing. But human activity is disturbing the delicate balance that created the conditions for life as we know it. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the manmade greenhouse effect, but we also produce smaller quantities of methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are even more damaging.

Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas. 

Methane - A particularly strong greenhouse gas produced by fossil fuels and cattle.