| Myths,
urban legends, misperceptions and sometimes outright
lies. We know there are some crazy things that
people have been told about Real Christmas Trees
over the years. And this has led to a large number
of confused consumers. While many of these myths can
be traced back to the fake tree industry, many are
like urban legends ... they just sort of exist and
nobody really knows how they started.
Now, NCTA is launching the “Great De-Myth-ification
Campaign” with its 10 Biggest Myths About Christmas
Trees, designed to provide straight-forward answers
and facts in a simple, compiled list. The top 10
list is culled from emails received by consumers,
plus questions by news media and messages on blogs
and such. Each year, NCTA receives more than 2,000
inquiries from the public, so we have a pretty good
feel for what people think about Christmas Trees.
Here are the 10 biggest myths, in no specific order:
MYTH #1: Real Christmas
Trees are cut down from forests.
BUSTED: Seriously, do
people still believe this? To be completely
accurate, in a few locations around North America,
the Forest Service sells permits for people to
harvest wild trees. They do this in places to create
fire breaks. But it’s a very tiny percentage of all
trees used. Most trees come from a farm where
someone plants them. And each year, growers plant
one to three seedlings for each tree harvested.
MYTH #2: You save a tree
by using a fake tree.
BUSTED: This is
obviously tied to Myth #1, and also directly
attributable to the fake tree industry. We’ve got
copies of ads for fake trees that say exactly that:
“Save a tree." Of course, this is false, because
trees are a crop. They are planted by farmers to be
used specifically as Christmas Trees. Close to half
a billion trees are currently growing on tree farms
in the U.S. alone. The really ironic part of the ad
for the fake tree is one of the selling points is
that it comes in a sturdy cardboard box. Ummm, how
exactly is that saving a tree?
MYTH #3: Real Christmas
Trees aggravate allergies.
BUSTED: Often, we get
emails and inquiries from news media asking if there
is a type of Christmas Tree that won’t bother a
person’s allergies. We’ve collected sources of
information both about trees and allergies and share
these with people.
Sources include the National Institute of
Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) and the
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
So it’s not just “the Christmas Tree people” saying
that the farm-grown tree itself is not the culprit.
A quick summary of the sources we have found are
that while it’s possible that a person may be
allergic to tree pollen or even tree sap, it’s not
as widespread as many believe. We have read that in
rare cases, people can have an allergy to certain
species of tree sap.
As for pollens, which certainly can be an
allergen to people, a Real Tree itself is unlikely
to produce pollen during December, and even if it
did, pollens from pines are not a known allergen.
According to the NIEHS of the 50,000 different kinds
of trees, less than 100 have been shown to cause
allergies. Most allergies are specific to one type
of tree.
But being outdoors for years in the field, a
Christmas Tree can collect pollens, dust, mold or
other allergens. Of course, so can the artificial
tree stored in the attic or basement. Whether you
use a fresh Christmas Tree from a farm, or an
artificial tree stored in a box, if you have
sensitive allergies to dust, molds, etc., AAAAI
recommends you spray the tree down in the yard with
a hose before putting up. Let it dry completely
before bringing indoors.
Resources we have found pertaining to holiday
allergy prevention include:
www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2004/11/111204.stm
www.hoptechno.com/book46.htm
MYTH #4: It's better to
use a fake tree because you can re-use it each year.
BUSTED: That’s a very
short-sighted perspective. According to research,
most fake trees are only used 6 to 9 years before
they’re disposed. Even if you would use one for 20
years or more, it will eventually be thrown away and
end up in a landfill. And unlike Real Trees, which
are biodegradable and recyclable, fake trees are
always a burden to the environment.
MYTH #5: Christmas Trees
are a fire safety hazard and frequently catch on
fire.
BUSTED: You’d certainly
think so by watching the local “Action News” team on
TV. Each year, many of them show a dramatic image of
a tree bursting into flames, intending to scare
people into watching the news. And the
anchor/reporter will say, “If you get a Christmas
Tree, this could happen to you ...” The reality is,
a tree being accidentally ignited is EXTREMELY rare.
As in 0.0004%. And those images of trees burning?
They’re often aided by gasoline or lighter fluid.
Don’t believe it?
Just watch this...
MYTH #6: Real Trees cost
too much.
BUSTED: Like anything
else, you can find a wide range of prices, and spend
what you want to spend. It all depends on what
you’re looking for in a tree. Prices vary by many
variables including: location of retail lot, where
the tree was harvested, species, size, grade, who’s
selling it and even sometimes day of the week. The
bottom line is, you can spend $15 to over $200 on a
tree in many places.
My favorite part is when fake tree people try to
use this as a selling point. “You can get your
investment in a fake tree back in as little as 3
years...blah, blah.” That’s called “funny math”
where I’m from. If I spend $20 on a Christmas tree
from a farm each year and you spend $300 on a fake
tree, you’d have to use it for 15 years (way past
the average) before I will have spent the same
amount as you.
MYTH #7: Fake trees are
fireproof.
BUSTED: Um, no, they’re
not. They catch on fire every year. According to a
report from the National Fire Protection
Association, 28% of home fires involving a Christmas
Tree were a fake one.
MYTH #8: Real Christmas
Trees have pesticides and chemicals on them.
BUSTED: Myths such as
this often get a foothold due to the disconnect that
most people have with agricultural practices.
Christmas Tree farmers do not use chemicals in a
"harmful" manner. Chemicals are used only when
needed and only according to the specified
instructions and regulations of the EPA, the USDA
and the FDA. Christmas Tree farmers live on their
land and raise their families there. They would not
engage in an activity that would put their families,
employees or the people they sell their product to
in harms way. To suggest otherwise is at best
uninformed, and at worst, offensive.
There has never been a scientific research
article suggesting that harmful levels of chemical
residue exists on Christmas Trees, and in fact there
have been studies looking for it. On the flip side,
there have been studies showing a potential health
danger of lead dust coming from plastic trees. The
state of California requires a warning label on fake
trees and wreaths.
Watch this clip
MYTH #9: Real Christmas
Trees end up in landfills.
BUSTED: Christmas Tree
recycling programs are available nationwide, and
many are quite creative. A farm-grown Christmas tree
is 100% biodegradable, so it can be used for all
kinds of things in nature, from mulch to erosion
control. Fake trees?....see Myth #4 above. People
often lament the sight of Christmas trees at the
curb after Christmas...but they don't realize that
many communities have curb-side pick up as part of
their recycling program. They're not "being thrown
in the trash" or ending up in landfills. They're
waiting to be put into the recycling program.
MYTH #10: Real Christmas
Trees are a hassle and a mess.
BUSTED: It's all
relative. The first thing to ask someone if they say
“I don’t want a Real Tree because I might have to
vacuum up needles” is this: Does that mean you don’t
vacuum normally? I mean, vacuuming should be a
regular household chore all year long. So what if
the tree drops some needles - you’re going to vacuum
anyway right?....RIGHT?
Second, who says it has to be a hassle? (Hint:
the fake tree people.) There are many places to buy
a tree and all offer something a little different.
If you want to spend a lot of time with family or
friends getting your tree and have some
entertainment, go to a Choose & Cut farm. If you
want a huge variety of trees, both species and
sizes, go to a specialty lot. If you want to support
your community organizations in the process, buy one
from a nonprofit selling them as a fundraiser. If
you just want a tree quick and easy, then go to a
lot designed for that. If you want to just point and
click and have your tree delivered to your front
door, then buy one online. Bottom line, don’t let
someone tell you it’s a hassle, because you can
decide how much time to spend getting a tree.
Third, the hard goods used with a farm-grown tree
have come a long way. There are many different
styles and types of tree stands...pick one that's
easy for you, as long as it holds enough water.
There are funnels, cleverly designed to blend into
the tree, that make adding water easier. I have a
round mat with a waterproof backing to put under my
stand so any water drops don't stain my floor ...it
cost me like four bucks or something.
You may often hear it's a hassle to water a
farm-grown tree every day. Really? That takes,
what...an extra 25 seconds per day? Sheesh, get
real, no pun intended. I spend more time than that
making my picks in the weekly office football pool.
It’s all relative. The time invested in buying
and maintaining a farm-grown Christmas tree is
nothing compared to what you get out of it. A good
feeling. Memories. A home that “smells” like
Christmas. Knowledge that you made a good
environmental choice. That's not a hassle, that's a
blessing. |
