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A Living Natural Christmas

December 2007

If this article keeps just one home from burning down or one person out of the hospital, it will be worth all the hate mail it may inspire. As a professional firefighter/paramedic, I dread December. It’s the worst month for influenza, depression and suicide and has the highest rate of sick leave. I’m certain that Christmas trees and all the other decorations are major contributors to these alarming spikes. I’d skip Christmas decorating altogether, although I doubt that my wife, Mona, would go for that. But we’ll never buy another artificial or cut Christmas tree.

When we opened Ron’s Organics, we decided not to sell cut Christmas trees. Philosophically, an organic gardener selling cut trees makes about as much sense as a firefighter selling fireworks. Environmentally, there are too many reasons why we shouldn’t bring cut or artificial trees into our houses.

Artificial trees were invented in 1950 by the Addis Brush Company - a toilet brush company. Today 85% of them come from China. But I think they still belong in the toilet bowl. Only 3% are made in the USA because of our strict OSHA standards. Think of all the Chinese products that have been recalled due to dangerous levels of lead.

Artificial trees and most other decorations can’t be recycled, so they add to the landfill overload. They will never decompose. They contain PVCs and lead. Check the tree boxes at the store. You’ll find a warning about ingesting or inhaling lead dust. PVCs oxidize when heated - give off dangerous vapors. What do we put on trees? That would be hot little lights. When you burn PVCs they release dioxins which according to the Children’s’ Health Environmental Coalition, are among the most toxic manmade chemicals known.

Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are among the most common causes of residential fires. While I’d prefer no tree fires, if there is one, I’d rather it be a cut tree than an artificial tree. A burning natural tree will release natural carbons - albeit very volatile super hot but natural substances. If I can keep those fumes under control my body can process them. But when an artificial tree combusts it explodes with toxic gasses - one breath of which can do you in. Once it starts to burn you’ll be exposed to toxic smoke containing hydrogen, chloride and dioxins which your body cannot break down. These trees are flame resistant - not fireproof.

Now: Cut trees. To start with, they are one of the most toxic crops grown in the US. The Christmas tree crop is sprayed with more herbicides and pesticides than any other crop. We spray these trees just so we can cut them down destroying the natural habitat. Then we ship them hundreds or thousands of miles to contaminate our households and create a fire hazard.

We bring these trees that have been sprayed with organophosphate poisons into our homes and then apply heat both from the lights and our heating systems. Toxins outgas and pollute our air. Each year workers handle some of the deadliest pesticides allowed by law to help Americans celebrate life. Each year over 100,000 acres of land is sprayed with RoundUp, a material that irritates the eyes and is toxic when inhaled. RoundUp is very hazardous to life forms in the soil. Farm workers who regularly work with RoundUp have 3 times normal incidence of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. And, they also use di/syston 15/G, a nasty chemical that’s been banned on food crops and would have been banned outright if not for the efforts of the Christmas tree lobbyists.

Christmas tree proponents claim that an acre of trees produces enough oxygen to support 18 people. But I have studies that show that an acre of native grasses and wild weeds produces enough oxygen to support 70 people with no pesticides.

Before you go all Baa Humbug - Ron has really lost his mind, I challenge you to think about this. We make more medical runs in December than any other month. On top of that, the situations are more serious. We are the first responders. We show up, try to stabilize the situation and, if need be, call in back up - the ambulance crew to transport folks to emergency rooms. Normally 30% of our runs end up with people going to the hospital. In December that spikes to 50%. Sure, we’re spending more time indoors, but we’re also bringing in things that are poisoning us. You have to ask yourself if chemical reactions might be an underlying cause. This is supposed to be a happy time.

What do I recommend? Try a living tree. There are over 20 varieties of evergreens you can bring into your home. Instead of poisoning your air, a living tree gives off oxygen - improves your air quality. After Christmas you can plant the tree, or in the spirit of Christmas, donate it to a worthy cause, or keep it in a container to use year after year. Go to your independent garden center. They can help you make the best choice. Hoping you have a healthy, happy living natural Christmas.