Has anyone else had a problem deciding on their Christmas tree this year? Maybe it's a little early to think about getting a tree now, after all Christmas is 2 1/2 months away, but I've been thinking about Christmas trees today.

I spend hours on the net looking at lots of gift ideas. And ideas for Christmas, including Christmas trees. I have looked at some artificial Christmas trees lately, and have begun to consider the Christmas tree debate. I have found a good artificial tree lately and written about it here but have now decided to look at the issues surrounding Christmas trees more closely.

Every year there are some 30 to 35 million Christmas trees sold in the US. That's a lot of trees. And there are some implications in this that maybe we should think about.

So, the Great Christmas Tree Debate. Artificial Or Real?

After all, that's what it boils down to. When Christmas comes around do you have a real tree, or do you buy an artificial Christmas tree?

I'm not going to tell you which one to do here, that's not my job, but I'm going to alert you to the issues. A lot of people just get out there and buy a tree, and don't realise that there are some serious issues to consider when it comes to selecting your tree for Christmas.

So lets look at the issues involved in the choice between real Christmas trees and artificial Christmas trees. This is just how I see it, my views only, both from my own Christmas tree experiences and from my reading about it.

Lets look at some data first, from the website of the National Christmas Tree Association, (yes they have their own association.)

30 - 35 mill trees used per annum. Trees are grown on Christmas tree farms in all states of the US, totalling around half a million acres planted. The average time to grow a tree to sale is 7 years. Somewhere close to $2 billion spent annually.

Ok, lets look at some issues.

1. The environmental issues. There's a few of them so one by one.

Artificial Christmas trees are often made of PVC. This is considered a toxic material and can be stabilized with lead. Other trees are made with Polyethelene which can be less toxic, though more expensive.

Generally the artificial trees are non biodegradable. This isn't an issue if you use it over and over but eventually it will outgrow it's usefulness and need to be disposed of. Normally in landfill.

It is claimed that real Christmas trees are carbon neutral. This is hard to prove one way or the other, but it is certainly more likely that real trees are more carbon neutral than artificial ones. The Association claims that an acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people. Multiply half a million acres by 18, equals 9 million people breathing. For every tree sold 3 are planted, (to allow for attrition.)

Real trees can be recycled, and Christmas tree recycling is common. They can be chipped, used for beachfront erosion prevention and lake stabilization, fish habitat and lots more. If you are interested in more information about recycling Christmas trees click here to read more. Artificial Christmas tree disposal can be an issue.

Manufacture. Real trees are grown, artificials are manufactured. The manufacturing process produces it's own issues and I won't go into that, not being an expert. However there is no doubt that the manufacturing process can often be environmentally unfriendly.

Oil. Many components of the artificial trees are also made from petroleum products which are a diminishing non renewable resource.

Chemicals. There are chemical byproducts of both methods of producing trees. Pesticides are used on real trees, chemicals are produced and released in the manufacture of artificial trees. Again I won't delve deeply into this issue, not being an expert, but it's there.

2. Employment. The Association claims that 85% of artificial trees are made in China. Of course they are promoting their members products which are real trees, however they may still be right. That means that the employment involved in creating artificial trees is in China.

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Great Halloween decorations make a great Halloween. I've recently been looking at some lovely Christmas trees and I've also found a very good source of decorations, both Christmas decorations and Halloween decorations.

They have an enormous range of great decorations. Nowadays the things that can be done with lights is amazing. There are so many different variations of Christmas and Halloween lights and so many different shapes and colors. I remember the days when Christmas lights were just a simple bulb with a color. That shows my age doesn't it.

No more, I have been looking at some wonderful Halloween lights and I've put some up here for you to look at. They are from Christmas Depot, one of the best places on the web for all sorts of Christmas and Halloween decorations and lights, and decorations and lights for all sorts of occasions.

Their range of stock is absolutely enormous, so you're just about guaranteed to find something there that suits your needs.

However what I like best about Christmas Depot is their prices. You'll be pleasantly surprised by their prices. Their Christmas and [tag-tec]Halloween decorations are surprisingly cheap, and that's always a bonus. After all, you might love celebrating Halloween but you don't need to break the bank to do it.

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