Christmas trees: born to die
They say that society could be a showcase of the contradictions of the human being. Well, I don’t know if someone says it, but at least I think so :)
For instance, I have spoken many times about the State of Washington, its forests, lakes or faunal richness. The enjoyment of this privileged natural surroundings is perhaps what has formed a highly committed society to the environment that proudly holds the title of the "Evergreen State".
Remember those protests against globalization that occurred here in Seattle on the occasion of the World Trade Organization meeting in November 1999. Recently a municipal law had been passed to collect an ecological fee for each bag of the grocery stores that you carry. Companies make environmentalism a real flag of their marketing campaigns and you can even opt an ecological choice for your electricity, paying a little more to save the purity of the air (and selected investments) or you can choose email communications instead of mailed to save forests (and budget for the companies, sure).
The eco-commitment reaches corporations which have posted in the newspapers and its corporate websites photos to thanks users, and their sacrifice, because thousands of trees have been saved. Pictures of innocent children are widely shown planting new trees making this planet a more livable place for them. Photos, incidentally, with long green, and blue background, which are actually the corporate colours of the 21st century ecomarketing.
Not bad.
However, I don´t buy this bullsh*t. Let’s see, how is it possible that in the full bastion of environmentalism we still continue felling trees, I repeat just to sell Christmas trees? Why is allowed an industry that lives for something that is perfectly substitutable for a greener alternative?
This eco-thoughts came up after a Christmas-tree seller was set up nearby home. I remember those students in the University of Madrid that use to sell Christmas tress in the campus; but those were sold balled and burlapped so they were able to be replanted again. Some of them use to die, but many others survived Christmas crushing. However, to my surprise, those trees that are sold nearby are literally cut so there is nothing to do after Christmas but throw them away (to the green dumper, which sounds weird to me though).
Always I read something related to this I hear voices arguing jobs, employments, families and though times. But I say, isn´t it that our forests resources provide enough jobs in the wood industry? Is it necessary to cut a grown tree after several years just to use for some nights covering it with colored bulbs and hanging balls? Is not decoration superfluous and lacking weight enough reason to justify such natural attack? I don’t want to imagine what would here if trees had horns and we could fight them as a torero…
Such a hypocritical society!
(Source in Spanish: http://www.marianolozano.com/2009/12/07/arboles-de-navidad-nacidos-para-morir/)
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“… However, I don´t buy this bullsh*t.”
WHOA!!! Quite the American you’re turning out to be, Ha ha!- and I don’t think THAT got lost in translation: in Spanish we spell those small little words with more decorum, so in US-English I guess we get more crass. Oh well…
Anyhow, I noticed that I didn’t leave a comment on the Spanish version of the article, so my observation here will surely be more apropos…
It’s funny that what you point out with this article is actually the highlighting of three (3) particular traditions or norms of this society:
1. That tradition of Dad driving the station wagon (now SUV) to the nearest temporary open plot in your neighborhood to buy for the waaf-n-kids the pure ‘essence’ of the Christmas season- a nice, freshly scented and pine cone-filled live tree! Who can resist, that Dickensian yet frontier-like motif that everybody has to have and share while drinking eggnog around it! And its that mental imagery and the Christmas music that rings around our ears since kids that drives us Americans to seek and consume such goods almost by default. And that’s what the businesses smell and brings me to my next point-
2. The nice photo-frame ads of community, fraternity, and volunteerism that corporations fabricate with kids planting trees while their dogs, siblings, Dad’s department managers and Moms make a circle around them hand-in-hand to pay gentle homage… in other words the marketing (or eco-marketing as you call it!) It’s a norm now to show all of us consumers the ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘concern’ corporations have for our daily lives … Not just for ecology issues, but for other events of major concern, such as holidays like Christmas…
3. And circling the topic back to where it started: Balling and burlapping Christmas trees? Nah, too expensive. Just chop’em all out in one straight shot, the more profit you’ll get in less time. I mean, the merchants have to keep high profits, know what I mean? And as for the buyers, replanting those trees is way too much bother for them- they can just chuck’em out the garbage when they’re done or make tinder out of it during the rest of winter. To re-plant it? Man, whose gonna have time to maintain and water that tree?
One final thought: regarding the business of chopping trees: isn’t it interesting that our current history ‘experts’ like to condemn Columbus and the Spaniards for colonizing these pristine lands and depleting our natural resources, yet who were the ones that invested more in the production of resources back then for this country and sees first into the practice of balling trees to sell and ecological movements? Hmmm…
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