Is this the year to go fake? Every year, families across the world face a difficult decision: whether to buy a real or a fake Christmas tree.
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Tis the season to take sides (over the tree)
Is this the year to go fake? Every year, families across the world face a difficult decision: whether to buy a real or a fake Christmas tree.
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What's happening?
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 decorate real trees, others prefer sparkly plastic versions.
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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.
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Is this the year to go fake?
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.
Keywords
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.
Tis the season to take sides (over the tree)
Christmas conundrum: Live trees absorb carbon dioxide, but produce methane when left in landfill. Most artificial trees are made in China, with the dual environmental impact of being made from plastic, PVC and metal, and then shipped overseas. Glossary
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.