Transport distances and fertiliser make imported trees a drain on natural resources
Published:
22 December 2004 y., Wednesday
Getting a Christmas tree is a serious business in Finland, and the reasons for one’s choice are defended zealously.
Some are passionate supporters of the humble Finnish latvakuusi (basically the crown of a Picea abies or Norway spruce that has been cut down for use by the forest industry), while others want a more symmetrical cultivated silver fir (Abies alba, Abies procera) or Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana).
Those with allergies or a bent for tidiness swear by the convenience and absence of falling needles of a plastic tree.
Eco-friendliness can also be one of the criteria for choosing a tree. It is a question of how much the acquisition of the tree consumes non-renewable and renewable resources.
"It is easy to ascertain the ecological efficiency of a Christmas tree, particularly that of one of those "crown" spruces. This uses up precisely those natural resources that are consumed in bringing it from the forest to the point of sale. The longer the distance, the more it burdens the environment. Much the same goes for firs that have been cut down as part of forest management thinning programmes", says Eija Koski, a researcher in sustainable developement from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.
Šaltinis:
helsinginsanomat.fi
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
An Austrian millionaire raffles off his 1.5 million euro luxury villa in favor of a simpler life.
more »
Jumping from a pier in the attempt to win the title of top Birdman and a $47,000 prize.
more »
Hundreds of couples lock lips to recreate the famous kiss that marked the end of World War II 65 years ago.
more »
A lion and tiger become the proud parents of two “liger” cubs in a private Taiwanese zoo.
more »
Pygmy hippo calf, Kambiri, makes her public debut at Sydney zoo.
more »
A 34-year-old British explorer completes an 859-day expedition to become the first known man to have walked the entire length of the Amazon River.
more »
A woman attacks McDonald's workers and breaks the drive-through window after being told chicken McNuggets were not being served at the Toledo, Ohio restaurant.
more »
Christmas comes early to London's Oxford Street, as department store Selfridge's opens its festive store in the height of summer.
more »
Rare baby leopards, born this spring at Paris' main zoo, are presented for public viewing for the first time.
more »
A tribal community in India's northeastern state of Assam is manufacturing tea coins, an innovative and eco-friendly alternative for tea bags.
more »