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The typical rules of sustainability do not apply when it comes to choosing the most environmentally friendly Christmas tree. … Here is why real Christmas trees are better for the environment than fake trees: Christmas tree farms help to produce oxygen and sequester carbon …The tree is then grown for seven to 10 years before it is harvested, and during that time it is sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen….Purchasing at a Christmas tree farm also bolsters the local economy, as most tree farms are family-owned, Chastagner said. Artificial tree production has a high carbon footprint …The production of one artificial...

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- There's perhaps no better feeling than paying it forward during the holidays. Especially when the recipients are those who serve to protect our freedom; and when the gift is a little Christmas cheer. For the last 10 years, La Salle College Preparatory High School in Pasadena has hosted an annual Christmas tree sale and fundraiser. Those who purchase a tree of their own can also purchase one for a military family. "This year we are fortunate we donated over 160 trees to these families. And we're just really fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity to...

While this year’s Cromwell Family Tree may be dry, scraggly, under-lighted, and not that impressive in its current form, it is going to be something to behold when it goes up in flames2020 hasn’t offered much to celebrate, to put it mildly. Sure, we’ve all found our escapes, things that offer respite from Zoom meetings, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to transition to life through Zoom. People slowed down, spent more time together, cooked more. But sources of joy have been a bit farther between this year. This is particularly true as we head into a...

US medical professionals have devised an inventive to celebrate Christmas in the time of the coronavirus: by decorating trees with facemasks, hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment (PPE). The trend is currently getting attention on social media, despite a continuing shortage of the equipment in increasingly burdened hospitals

“White” does not mean white. “White” in radical parlance means anyone of any race, creed, nationality, color, sex, or sexual preference who embraces capitalism, free markets, limited government, and American traditional culture and values.”This philosophical concept belongs to Noel Ignatiev, a white American of Russian origin, who is the ideological founding father of numerous radical black movements in America. The author of this concept was even lucky enough to see his best students -- Black Lives Matter (BLM) -- in action. Research into the work of this former Harvard professor finally answered the question of why BLM proponents are so...

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something filled with the coagulating blood of one’s enemies. The Trump household apparently wasn’t content turning the White House into a dark alternate dimension where all hope dies for just one year—this house of horrors has now become an annual holiday tradition. The White House has shared an official look at First Lady Melania Trump’s latest holiday decor at the White House. Last year, Mrs. “Be Best” turned the hallways of the presidential residence into a living nightmare straight out of Get Out or Voldemort’s bathroom. Shadowy branches crept over the walls, reaching forth...

National Guard helicopters dropped thousands of used Christmas trees into Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge marshlands in New Orleans East this week. It's part of a decades-long restoration effort. "For us, it was Christmas in March," Shelley Stiaes said. She's the manager of the 25,000-acre refuge, and has worked there 19 years.Nearly 5,000 trees collected in New Orleans after Christmas were airlifted to select spots in wetlands and ponds. The trees act as a breakwater, protecting the city from storm surges and erosion, while also providing habitat for fish and other wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says Bayou...

The dream of one last romantic Hawaiian vacation is now closer to reality after a Calgary Christmas tree salesperson — diagnosed with blood and bone cancer — sold out of trees on Saturday night, almost one month ahead of schedule.

An expansion of Europe's forests towards dark green conifers has stoked global warming, according to a study on Thursday at odds with a widespread view that planting more trees helps human efforts to slow rising temperatures. Forest changes have nudged Europe's summer temperatures up by 0.12 degree Celsius (0.2 Fahrenheit) since 1750, largely because many nations have planted conifers such as pines and spruce whose dark color traps the sun's heat, the scientists said. Lighter-colored broad-leafed trees, such as oak or birch, reflect more sunlight back into space, but have lost ground to fast-growing conifers, used for everything from building...

In New York City, even sidewalk space is coveted real estate. Street vendors sometimes spend a fortune or languish for years on waiting lists to acquire one of the permits that allow them to sell goods in tightly regulated locations. But once a year, there's an exception, laid out in an artfully worded city ordinance: During the month of December, anyone may sell "coniferous trees" just about anywhere - no license required. It's a rare tree-for-all. Peddlers flock in from across North America. Big trucks carrying huge loads of trees arrive in the dead of night. Stands selling coniferous trees...

Full Title: From real candles in the 1900s, a tinsel takeover in the '50s and drifts of fake snow drifts in the '60s - how trees have changed down the decadesFor many, a Christmas tree is the most memorable aspect of their annual festive decorations. The tree itself has been a part of holiday traditions for centuries, dating back to the late 16th century when the custom was first developed in Germany; but the way in which it has been trimmed has changed dramatically from year to year. Here, we take a look back at some of the different Christmas...

Each season, millions of Christmas trees are set up in offices, malls, airports and other public spaces. These trees are adorned with ornaments that hold no sentimental value. They are often surrounded by empty presents. Quite literally, no one cares about them. These are their stories.

Who’s next? London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Dearborn? Until last year there was an annual Christmas tree standing in the center of the Grote Market in Brussels. Councillor Bianca Debaets regrets that this year the traditional Market tree will not be there. “I suspect that the reference to the Christian religion was the decisive factor,” she added. he City has announced that there will be no tree at the Grote Markt this year. It will be replaced by an exhibit of lights that looks like an Evergreen tree. Debaets is not happy with that decision as she sees Christmas being gradually...

No, it’s not a joke. President Obama really is imposing a special new tax on Christmas trees. And while the policy seems a ludicrous political misstep – and possibly an unconstitutional one at that – in truth, the Obama Christmas Tree Tax is much worse than that. The $2 million the Obama Administration expects the tax to raise will not reduce the deficit or cover needed government services. Instead, it will serve as a marketing slush fund for the Christmas tree industry. The money will set up a brand new government agency called (no, seriously) the Christmas Tree Promotion Board....

President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.

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Our beloved president has expressed bewilderment at recent polls showing large numbers of Americans doubt his commitment to Christianity. Because we hate to see our president even a wee bit flummoxed, let's help him out. Do most Christians you know choose to decorate their Christmas tree with smiling images of Chairman Mao, who murdered at least 50 million of his countrymen, as well as signed photos of transvestite Hedda Lettuce? Well, that's the very special holiday magic the Obamas decided to hang on their tree for their first White House Christmas, courtesy of famed Barney's designer Simon Doonan. Maybe we're...

.... here's another one for the bulging files: Two Cambridge academics have voiced their dismay at the news that all references to Christmas have been dropped from the switching-on ceremony for Dundee’s festive lights. Instead of the traditional Christmas Lights switch-on, The Times newspaper reported that residents will be attending the 'Dundee Winter Light Night'. Council officials have also decided that rather than a retelling of the Nativity story there will be a disco, a contemporary circus, a continental market and a seven foot fairy on stilts.That's another reason to resist this stuff - not merely because it's an act...

Note: The following text is a quote: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2008 Christmas Safety Tips The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department would like to reiterate and stress that the holiday season is also a time of increased risk, that involve hazards in the home. Added this season is the threat of potential mudslides in the recently burned areas of the Sayre Brush fire. During these challenging economic times, we encourage all to remain fire safe! Christmas Trees Each holiday season an estimated 500 residential fires, which result in approximately 100 injuries and 40 deaths can be attributed...

Beleaguered Americans may have to trim the size of their Christmas tree this year or cut back on gifts to afford one, but few will do without the holiday centerpiece no matter how bad the economy. Industry insiders from tree farmers to people like Rick Rusin -- who sells trees in the corner of a small shopping mall parking lot in the western Chicago suburb of Geneva -- say that while consumers are tightening budgets, for them it's business as usual.