Climate change may drive up Christmas tree prices this year

Thanks to climate change, you will have to dig much deeper in your pocket to buy a real Christmas tree this year. Christmas tree prices have gone up by 10-15% since last year, according to Jeri Seifert, president of the California Christmas Tree Association. The trouble started due to the wildfires and heatwaves earlier this year. Christmas tree farmers in Oregon and California took the hardest hit from the disasters. With Oregon farmers being the largest producer of Christmas trees in the U.S., their predicament has affected the entire country. Usually, the state produces about 40% of Christmas trees bought in the U.S. However, their production this year is much lower due to the heat and fires. Related: London tree rental service solves a Christmas quandary “I had 30% mortality, but every single seedling is damaged without question,” said Tom Norby, a Christmas tree farmer in Oregon. Norby, who is also the president of the Oregon Christmas Tree Growers Association, says that farmers across the state have experienced similar issues. “There are literally fields with hundreds of acres of dead seedlings. Just 100% mortality across the entire field. If you produce a million trees a year, you don’t have time to deal with that,” Norby added. In Oregon, the main killer for the trees was the June heatwave . According to Norby, the trees were largely spared from wildfires, but the heatwave killed most of the young seedlings. “The heat dome came at the absolute worst time. It came when those new seedlings were trying to take root on that fresh soil and push out new shoots, and they just couldn’t compete with that heat,” said Norby. The resulting tree scarcity is driving up this year’s Christmas tree prices. Despite this, California farmers are optimistic to get back on track next year. For Oregon farmers, the supply might be affected for the next decade. Christmas trees take over six years to mature to a harvesting height. If a farm is destroyed, it takes a lot of time to repair the damage. If the trees are exposed to too much heat and not enough moisture, they may suffer sunburns that destroy the tree entirely. “When you lose a plantation, there’s a huge process that goes into regrowing those trees, so it takes many years to recoup,” says Seifert. Via CNN Lead image via Pexels

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Climate change may drive up Christmas tree prices this year

Maven Moment: Great-Aunt Lucy’s Christmas Tree

Decorating for the holidays reminds me of my great-aunt Lucy. Her Christmas tree was a… The post Maven Moment: Great-Aunt Lucy’s Christmas Tree appeared first on Earth911.

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Maven Moment: Great-Aunt Lucy’s Christmas Tree

5 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

If your household celebrates Christmas, chances are you put a Christmas tree up in your… The post 5 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas appeared first on Earth911.

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5 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

We Earthlings: Why Recycle E-Waste?

Why should you recycle e-waste? Because electronics contain useful materials that can be recycled into… The post We Earthlings: Why Recycle E-Waste? appeared first on Earth911.

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We Earthlings: Why Recycle E-Waste?

Planting an Idea: Choosing a Real vs. Artificial Christmas Tree

The debate over which is better — a real or an artificial Christmas tree —… The post Planting an Idea: Choosing a Real vs. Artificial Christmas Tree appeared first on Earth911.

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Planting an Idea: Choosing a Real vs. Artificial Christmas Tree

How to reuse and recycle your post-holiday waste

Want to get a P.H.D. in what to do with your P.H.W.? (That’s short for post-holiday waste in case you didn’t know.) While you may not have heard of the term (we kind of just made it up), we’re pretty sure you know what we’re talking about – the crumpled wads of giftwrap , the withering tree , that sweater from Aunt Mabel that was so fugly that it made a baby cry. Don’t worry if you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, however – P.H.W isn’t contagious, and there’s a quick cure – read on to check out our 5 easy tips for what to do with all that stuff after Christmas ! Read the rest of How to reuse and recycle your post-holiday waste

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How to reuse and recycle your post-holiday waste

Consumerist Christmas Tree uses 2,000 plastic bags to make you rethink holiday shopping

Read the rest of Consumerist Christmas Tree uses 2,000 plastic bags to make you rethink holiday shopping Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: anti consumerism , anti-consumerism art , Appetite , consumerism , consumerist christmas tree , holiday art , holiday season , luzinterruptus , plastic bag art , plastic bag tree , plastic bags , Recycled Plastic , Stoke-on-Trent

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Consumerist Christmas Tree uses 2,000 plastic bags to make you rethink holiday shopping

This breathtaking Lithuanian Christmas tree looks like a tumbling cascade of clouds

Read the rest of This breathtaking Lithuanian Christmas tree looks like a tumbling cascade of clouds Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: christmas holidays , christmas tree , christmas tree plastic bottles , cloud , holiday decorations , Kaunas Lithuania , knitted christmas tree , lithuania

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This breathtaking Lithuanian Christmas tree looks like a tumbling cascade of clouds

Consumerist Christmas Tree Uses Thousands of Multi-Colored Plastic Bags to Symbolize Our Addiction to Waste

Read the rest of Consumerist Christmas Tree Uses Thousands of Multi-Colored Plastic Bags to Symbolize Our Addiction to Waste Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: addiction to waste , art installation , christmas tree , consumerist christmas , consumerist christmas tree , excessive consumerism , light installation , Lumiere Festival of Light , luzinterruptus , madrid garbage strike , recycled plastic bags , shopping addiction        

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Consumerist Christmas Tree Uses Thousands of Multi-Colored Plastic Bags to Symbolize Our Addiction to Waste

The Great Green Fate of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree After the Holidays Are Over

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is the star of holidays in NYC, but what happens to it when the festivities are over? The awesome answer might surprise you. Read on to find out what it is. READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: 45 Rockefeller Plaza , affordable housing , Chris Clarke , christmas tree , decent housing , green building materials , green homes , habitat for humanity , Humanity Plaza , Hurricane Katrina , Hurricane Katrina Victim Homes , louisiana , low income housing , low-cost housing , mayor bloomberg , Mississippi , nbc , Norway Spruce , NYC Christmas Tree , NYC Christmas tree from Connecticut , NYC Christmas tree from Shelton , recycled wood , rockefeller center , Rockefeller Christmas lighting , Rockefeller Christmas Tree , Rockefeller Christmas Tree 2013 , Rockefeller Christmas Tree has 45000 led lights , Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting , Swarovski crystal tree star , Tishman Speyer , transform Rockefeller Plaza into the Humanity Plaza , Warner Music        

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The Great Green Fate of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree After the Holidays Are Over

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