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Post by cestlefun17 on Nov 10, 2011 5:08:46 GMT -5
Thank you Chad. Of course the Republicans are hopping on this because they like to make anything and everything a controversy to attract voters. The 15 cents would be instituted by the Christmas tree industry, not the government, which would only oversee the program through the USDA, and none of this money would go to the government, only to the tree industry to pay for a publicity campaign.
The campaign isn't motivated by environmental concerns, but the practical matters of business and profits: more people are opting for artificial trees over natural ones.
If the industry wants to impose this fee (not a "tax") on itself, then that's their decision. I'll stick with my artifical tree-evergreen Yankee candle combo. It doesn't make a mess, you don't have to water it, you can re-use it year after year, and you can choose the size and style you like which is consistent year after year without having to worry about getting lucky at the tree farm.
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servo
Full Member
Posts: 137
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Post by servo on Nov 10, 2011 7:35:47 GMT -5
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Post by sylvana on Nov 10, 2011 7:45:28 GMT -5
Honestly, I would prefer it if this money went to re-forestation or something like that. TO me that is a far more worthy cause to be paying a tax for than because of the supposed benefits of no longer live trees.
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Post by N. De Plume on Nov 10, 2011 8:05:41 GMT -5
I think what I really find most annoying is all the folks getting outraged over fuckin’ 15¢.
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Post by QWcanary on Nov 10, 2011 8:41:48 GMT -5
Republicants wouldn't have had a damned thing to say about it if not for the "Gubment" involvement.
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Post by The_L on Nov 11, 2011 17:03:03 GMT -5
Other than supporting Christmas Tree growers, what exactly the benefits of not-really-live trees over artificial? They uptake carbon from the atmosphere instead of releasing it during "production" and they don't release toxic chemicals into the environment when discarded. They are also renewable resource, unlike the ores used for the metallic portions of an artificial tree and the hydrocarbons used to produce the plastic portions. This is all true, but a live tree isn't reusable. I've had kin to re-use the same artificial tree for 20 years. |
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Post by Vene on Nov 11, 2011 17:07:25 GMT -5
blog.sustainablog.org/2010/11/real-christmas-trees/They uptake carbon from the atmosphere instead of releasing it during "production" and they don't release toxic chemicals into the environment when discarded. They are also renewable resource, unlike the ores used for the metallic portions of an artificial tree and the hydrocarbons used to produce the plastic portions. This is all true, but a live tree isn't reusable. I've had kin to re-use the same artificial tree for 20 years. This has been addressed and that 20 years is roughly the break even point and the average consumer only reuses an artificial tree for 6 year, well below that point. |
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Post by Twilight Zone on Nov 11, 2011 17:11:32 GMT -5
I don't celebrate Christmas. Poor trees, being killed in the name of some people's favorite imaginary friend.
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Post by scienceisgreen on Nov 11, 2011 17:15:41 GMT -5
I don't celebrate Christmas. Poor trees, being killed in the name of some people's favorite imaginary friend. But they're also planted and grown because of that friend >> Also I love the smell of a real Christmas tree combine it with cinnamon brooms and you spell out the good parts of Christmas to my nose |
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Post by Shane for Wax on Nov 11, 2011 17:40:17 GMT -5
I hang my trees upside down.
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Post by worlder on Nov 12, 2011 18:25:48 GMT -5
I hang my trees upside down. That sounds blasphemous without actually violating a religious law. |
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Post by priestling on Nov 12, 2011 20:18:49 GMT -5
@ Scienceisgreen: That... actually sounds really nice. If only we had room for an actual christmas tree...
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Post by Shane for Wax on Nov 12, 2011 20:26:06 GMT -5
I hang my trees upside down. That sounds blasphemous without actually violating a religious law. It isn't blasphemous at all, actually. Yule/Christmas trees were actually originally hung upside down. |
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Post by A Reasonable Rat on Nov 13, 2011 2:58:31 GMT -5
One thing that I'd like to see would be if all tinsels and non-reusable decorative substances were biodegradable, because it's a pain in the ass to pick shredded foil out of one's mulch. Oh and also that crap can't be good for the environment either.
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Post by scienceisgreen on Nov 13, 2011 8:31:31 GMT -5
One thing that I'd like to see would be if all tinsels and non-reusable decorative substances were biodegradable, because it's a pain in the ass to pick shredded foil out of one's mulch. Oh and also that crap can't be good for the environment either. I avoid those tinsel frost thingys they make everything look cheap to me. |
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