Flee Tree – Otherwise known as good intentions.

Fake or Real? A perplexing question for those who sort of care about the environment. We have been told that to purchase a real tree for Christmas is more ecological as it preserves more “green space” to farm the trees. But a lover of trees has to watch the poor thing shrivel up during its month long dying period. Instructed to water it each day, and notice how it sucks it up, yes the tree is alive… for now.
As it begins to die the watering becomes less and less. The pliability of the branches becomes noticeably harder and brittle. A fake tree has all sorts of environmental alarms, as it is like one giant plastic bag when you finally throw it out.
You can’t recycle that material, however for a real tree its carcass can be used to help stop beach erosion, or be made into mulch.

Good intention? Kill a tree, preserve a green space? Or make room for yet another unsightly strip mall?
Ink drawing from my sketchbook, digital color © Heidi Younger