The next time someone tells you that they have a fake plastic Christmas tree because it is better for the environmental, remind them to think about the giant plastic factory in China, belching black smoke into the air. Or imagine the trees that were sacrificed to make the huge cardboard box that the fake one comes in and the diesel fuel that was wasted to ship it across the Pacific. Then read the warning label that cautions against breathing the toxic fumes from the PVC plastic.

Next imagine a "REAL" Christmas tree growing in California, converting green house gases into pure Oxygen for us to breath and providing jobs in our troubled economy. Then think for a moment about how multiple "REAL" Christmas trees are grown, year after year from the same stump. Finally, consider how the recycled "REAL" tree can be ground up for mulch and used to minimize the use of herbicide and how the mulch biodegrades, to replenish the soil of the farm where the tree was grown.

Ask your friend to think about the carbon footprint left by a fake plastic tree from China compared to that of a "REAL" one from the USA. Which kind of Christmas tree would we all like to have in our living room this year?

PATCHEN offers a number of "Green" Holiday options.