December 5th, 2007 · 1 Comment

By Harriet Blake

It’s the first week in December and we’ve actually got the tree up, the holiday photo cards ordered and an early gift installed in the family TV room. AND, we’ve managed to stay (mostly) green in our efforts. On top of the usual stress of the holidays – eating too much, spending too much and sometimes seeing family too much – we’ve added a new concern, being more mindful of the environment. We’re trying to be green this holiday and this has raised some questions:

Should we purchase a live or artificial tree? Can we use recycled paper for our Christmas cards? Or perhaps we should skip paper cards altogether and send e-mail greetings? And, since we’re in the market for a big-ticket family gift, a flat screen TV, do we go for plasma or LCD?

Being more green this holiday season does not mean added stress. It just means doing some homework before you buy. And lucky for you, we have done it for you.

LIVE VS. FAKE

The live vs. artificial tree controversy is not new.

Millions of live trees are cut down for the holidays. At the same time millions of artificial trees (10 million) are sold each year as well. According to one online site specializing in artificial trees, approximately 70 percent of Americans today have artificial trees. The key reason to purchase a live tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, is that they absorb carbon dioxide and new trees are planted every year.

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