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12/02/2008 09:32:40 PM · #1 |
I was once told that common sense isn't common. It's learned. The classic example is that it's common sense not to walk out into traffic. Well, that's no so if you're 4.
So a couple weeks back Congress was berating the car company exiecutives for taking 3 planes to DC for the meeting -how it's a waste of money. Obviously it's a waste of resources (fuel, pollution,etc).
So I hear on the radio today that the national christmas tree was cut down in montana and trucked to DC. Stupid! Why not plant a pine, even a 30 foot one, on the Mall and call it the christmas tree and decorate it every year. Much better for the environment to plan a tree than to cut them down. And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles.
Wasteful and stupid. As if our deficit isn't large enough already.
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12/02/2008 09:34:36 PM · #2 |
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12/02/2008 09:35:36 PM · #3 |
OHMIGAWD!!!
I totally agree with you!
How weird is that?......8>)
Common courtesy doesn't seem to be much common these days, either.
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12/02/2008 09:49:29 PM · #4 |
I thought it was from NC this year. I thought I read that in our local paper -- we have a lot of tree farms just North of here, and it is always a big deal when one of "ours" is "chosen." (I'm checking on that to verify it or not).
If so, it is substantially closer to DC than Montana.
Also, I'm not sure that the climate in and around DC is really conducive to good pine trees. They tend to grow better at higher elevations and in cooler temps.
eta --
The White House tree is from NC.et
Message edited by author 2008-12-02 21:56:30. |
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12/02/2008 10:27:41 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by karmat:
Also, I'm not sure that the climate in and around DC is really conducive to good pine trees. They tend to grow better at higher elevations and in cooler temps. |
Huh?
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), whose species name means "of the marsh," has been locally referred to as longstraw, yellow, southern yellow, swamp, hard or heart, pitch, and Georgia pine. In presettlement times, this premier timber and naval stores tree grew in extensive pure stands throughout the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. At one time the longleaf pine forest may have occupied as much as 24 million ha (60 million acres), although by 1985 less than 1.6 million ha (4 million acres) remained.
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12/02/2008 11:54:43 PM · #6 |
Is that what kind of pine tree the national tree is? I honestly don't know. I just know that the trees that are farmed around here are NOT found in the areas you have just described.
Sorry I wasn't clearer about which kind of tree I was talking about. The ones you describe, if I am thinking of the right ones, typically don't make real good Christmas trees. |
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12/03/2008 05:51:31 AM · #7 |
| Funny I should come across this post today, I just got one of those emails about the "death of common sense" which I won't repeat because you've probably all seen it, but it does strike me more and more that you find yourself thinking, "Oh my god, they actually did THAT!". |
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12/03/2008 08:40:11 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
I was once told that common sense isn't common. It's learned. The classic example is that it's common sense not to walk out into traffic. Well, that's no so if you're 4.
So a couple weeks back Congress was berating the car company exiecutives for taking 3 planes to DC for the meeting -how it's a waste of money. Obviously it's a waste of resources (fuel, pollution,etc).
So I hear on the radio today that the national christmas tree was cut down in montana and trucked to DC. Stupid! Why not plant a pine, even a 30 foot one, on the Mall and call it the christmas tree and decorate it every year. Much better for the environment to plan a tree than to cut them down. And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles.
Wasteful and stupid. As if our deficit isn't large enough already. |
What's the growth rate for a pine tree? What's the chances of any given tree growing to be suitable in height/ shape and characteristics?
How well do pine trees do in an all car environment? Are other trees required for proper maturation? Is the DC area covered in pine trees already, so it is native to the area and likely to do well? Is the soil on the Mall the right kind to let a tree like this thrive?
I'm sure you'll know the answers to all these off the top of your head, so it makes perfect common sense to you. |
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12/03/2008 08:43:19 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by karmat:
Is that what kind of pine tree the national tree is? I honestly don't know. I just know that the trees that are farmed around here are NOT found in the areas you have just described.
Sorry I wasn't clearer about which kind of tree I was talking about. The ones you describe, if I am thinking of the right ones, typically don't make real good Christmas trees. |
They do if you want a 50 foot tree! LOL!!!
ETA: Just yankin' your chain, I know what you mean......the spruces & Dougals firs that make such nice pretty Christmas trees are generally high altitude & cold weather conifers.
Message edited by author 2008-12-03 08:44:42.
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12/03/2008 10:47:03 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles.
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But where do we draw the line? 80 percent of all the toys in the US this year will come from China. Do we really want to add to our carbon footprint by wasting the energy to transport those toys 12,000 miles? Do we want to buy them from a country that will have no concept of a carbon footprint? A country that is commissioning a new coal fired power plant every two weeks?
It might look good to some US citizens to outsource all manufacturing and then crow about how we're saving the environment while the countries taking over the business will pollute three times as much. I'm really not looking forward to all the finger pointing that is going to accompany our new carbon based economy. |
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12/03/2008 11:23:22 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
What's the growth rate for a pine tree? What's the chances of any given tree growing to be suitable in height/ shape and characteristics?
How well do pine trees do in an all car environment? Are other trees required for proper maturation? Is the DC area covered in pine trees already, so it is native to the area and likely to do well? Is the soil on the Mall the right kind to let a tree like this thrive?
I'm sure you'll know the answers to all these off the top of your head, so it makes perfect common sense to you. |
We cut down two 50 year old white pines at my house over the last two years. They were huge and ugly. My mother cut down 8 50 year old yellow pines this summer - even huger and uglier (60' tall, about 4' diameter). Also, I grow pine trees on my farm in Southern Virginia, but they are for timber and they are tall, fairly branchless except at the top, and ugly. They are mostly Virginia Pine.
The thing with pine trees is that they grow, quickly, and they destroy the soil around them. I would bet that they never use pine for the white house tree, preferring the beauty of firs and spruces. |
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12/03/2008 11:52:30 AM · #12 |
Could be worse, The London Trafalgar Sq tree comes from Norway.
or you could send out Christmas Tree cards for Hanukkah
Message edited by author 2008-12-03 11:54:14. |
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12/03/2008 12:01:03 PM · #13 |
A 100 year old pine fell on my house during Ike. They can have this one for free!
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12/03/2008 12:14:33 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
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12/03/2008 12:16:35 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
i just learned about that yesterdy in history:) yah, i know someone said it already but the White House xmas tree got cut down somewhere near where i live. kinda stupid really, leave my damn trees alone |
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12/03/2008 12:18:28 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
That's a long time to wait for clean underwear. |
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12/03/2008 12:22:09 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
That's a long time to wait for clean underwear. |
they actually bought the dirty underwear, shipped it off to Hawaii, and sold the clean stuff at outrageous prices. cool huh? well not cool, but an interesting idea |
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12/03/2008 12:24:01 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by JDubsgirl:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
That's a long time to wait for clean underwear. |
they actually bought the dirty underwear, shipped it off to Hawaii, and sold the clean stuff at outrageous prices. cool huh? well not cool, but an interesting idea |
Did they throw the dirty underwear into the volcano?
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12/03/2008 12:28:07 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
Originally posted by JDubsgirl:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
That's a long time to wait for clean underwear. |
they actually bought the dirty underwear, shipped it off to Hawaii, and sold the clean stuff at outrageous prices. cool huh? well not cool, but an interesting idea |
Did they throw the dirty underwear into the volcano? |
duh ***eye roll*** |
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12/03/2008 12:44:00 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
Originally posted by JDubsgirl:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by fir3bird:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
And then to waste the fuel, money and add to our carbon footprint by trucking this 50 foot tree 2000 miles. |
But where do we draw the line? |
Perhaps at shipping water from Fiji to the USA?
This is not exactly a new phenomenon however -- during the Gold Rush, laundry was "outsourced" ... to Hawaii. |
That's a long time to wait for clean underwear. |
they actually bought the dirty underwear, shipped it off to Hawaii, and sold the clean stuff at outrageous prices. cool huh? well not cool, but an interesting idea |
Did they throw the dirty underwear into the volcano? |
No wonder volcanos stink. It's all those burning skid marks. |
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12/03/2008 12:56:21 PM · #21 |
Good post!
It IS truly disappointing that people are so busy GREEN-washing that they don't do something symbolic and actually helpful via a Christmas tree - plant a new tree and let it grow naturally.
The green movement has a ways to go ... many are interested in "buying green" at best - when buying less, using less, and thinking smarter is needed. This tree is a great example. I thought the same of the Rockafeller center tree
Rockeffeller tree
Not sure how often it is transported by plane
Goofy? What would Jesus think? |
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12/03/2008 01:23:08 PM · #22 |
I just make a Christmas tree out of discarded car parts, used motor oil and old styrofoam coffee cups and containers.
It usually smells a little bit better than the burning poo from the volcano. |
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12/03/2008 01:23:38 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by metatate:
Goofy? What would Jesus think? |
"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." |
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12/03/2008 01:26:57 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
Originally posted by metatate:
Goofy? What would Jesus think? |
"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." |
can we have a normal english translation now |
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12/03/2008 01:42:27 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by JDubsgirl:
can we have a normal english translation now |
Cutting and decorating a tree is an abominable pagan ritual -- don't do it. |
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