purchase the pine, people

I'm going to go out on a limb (pun intended) and say that most people aren't sure which is the greener option: purchasing/cutting down a real tree each year, or using an artificial one. The greenest option would be to purchase a real tree, roots and all, and replant it post-holidays. For those of you who aren't interested in spending so much or lack the acres of land to replant, the next greenest is, believe it or not, purchasing or cutting down a real tree year after year. Here's why:

- Remember what drives this country: profit and consumers. So many people purchase Christmas trees each year, so many growers plant trees in preparation for the season. It takes an average of 5-16 years to grow the pine trees used for the holidays. That's 5-16 years of growth during which the trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases.

- Think about the tree farms. Pines are hearty. Christmas tree farms are often planted where other crops are unable to grow. They stabilize the soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife.

- When a Christmas tree is cut down, one to three seedlings are planted in its place - totaling an average of 56 million trees each year.

- After Christmas, real trees can be recycled into mulch or other useful products.

- If you purchase or use an artificial tree, chances are it was made in china from non biodegradable materials. While some hang on to their artificial trees for decades (like the silver tinsel one pictures above that I'm certain my mother is still storing in her garage), most discard them within ten years and they end up in our landfills - where they can remain for centuries.

So go for it, folks. Get the real tree.