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To tree or not to tree?
Flo Headlam made some very good points regarding the carbon footprint and waste of the Christmas tree industry (Gardeners World.com/premium). I was particularly shocked by the number of trees that are imported. But the concerns raised aren’t countrywide. I live in the Scottish highlands and have three Christmas tree growers within a few minutes’ drive. Not only that, but the tree I take home is actually the top of a large tree – it just gets pruned every year. The grove of large trees sits undisturbed for most of the year, so is a little wildlife haven. I realise that my situation is unusual and I would rather go without a tree if it wasn’t local.
Emily Mann, by email
I wholeheartedly agree with Flo Headlam. Millions of trees are grown solely to be cut down for Christmas, when the land could be used more productively. Even if it isn’t suitable for food crops or animals, it could grow a wider range of trees, benefiting wildlife and the environment generally. I have a plastic Christmas tree that we decorated for the 43rd time this Christmas and we will keep doing so for many years to come. We must surely have offset the carbon footprint of its manufacture by not buying and disposing of 43 real trees.