While I'm on the Topic of Trees

Here's another from Slate on the best trees to plant that soak up the most CO2. Maybe I should run this down the street to the folks that just chopped down that 100-year old oak on Reitten.

Or give it to whoever has the contract to "prune," I use that word loosely, the Safeway cherry trees down on Willis Street. Gads, they aren't pruning those trees, but surely killing them as they trim off the branches right to the trunk. I finally went in and complained to the clerk, who agreed with me and said she'd pass it on to the manager.

Probably the strangest complaint they got that night. But I hope she passed on my thoughts. I wince every time I see those trees.

Gawd save the trees, and humans should help out too

In reading this story in the PI, I was struck by the fact that some folks just don't seem to get it.

Trees are valuable, not just because of the oxygen, wildlife refuge and shade their produce, but just because of their beauty and age. This talks of a 500 year old oak that couldn't be saved from a developer's blade.

Just up the road on Reiten, here, I noticed that an old oak was chopped down that was at least 100s of years old. Now, it may have been rotted, I don't know, but I still mourned its loss. Ever since we moved in this house, my husband and I have been in a tug of war over the cedar out front. He wants to chop it down, I say it stays. So far I've won this argument.

Then he set his eyes on the back yard pine, and I think that was only saved when the neighbors suggested that it be chopped down (:

Picture courtesy of the PI

Do you want paper or plastic?

First, let me just confess this up front. We going out and cutting a real Christmas tree this year. Always have, my guess is, always will. But are we doing right by the environment? And are we anachronisms? My daughter said she was only one of two kids in her group that hang out at middle school that were going "real" green this year with the trees.

As it is, we've had to go further and further afield for to search out Christmas tree farms; and I fear this will be the last time we use that one that is next to Auburn Mountainview High School. It's now surrounded by development.

Anyway, the debate goes on in blogs, PR land, as well as in news articles and press releases about what is the real environmental choice. It seems tho, that the troops prefer the real deal.