With Christmas rolling around, many people are faced with a decision that not only affects their holiday season but all remaining holiday seasons in the foreseeable future. While this decision is nowhere near as dramatic as picking the next US president, it is far more important--because with this verdict, your vote actually matters. What kind of Christmas tree are you getting?

Real or fake--the question has plagued Man on many levels for years.

Growing up, I was always greatly opposed to plastic trees. It felt like the easy way out. You didn't hafta go pick out a tree or find a way to strap it to your car. You didn't hafta deal with shedding pine needles foolishly buying a tree too large because you forgot to measure. With fake trees, all you gotta do is take 'em out of the attic. That's just cheap. Plus, you're robbed of that wonderful fresh tree aroma that makes even the most wretched house smell lovely (it's spectacular!).

But as I got older and more aware of the world around me, I realized how wasteful fresh trees are. Literally millions of poor little trees are chopped down so we can stick them in our living rooms. It's the same tradition every year. Forests are being cut down just so folks can put a pine tree in their house for a month. I ain't no tree-hugging hippie--but that just sounds like a total waste. I have no idea how long it takes a Christmas tree to grow, but it's gotta be longer than a year. I know there are Christmas tree farms out there, but that don't make it right. Humans are once again raping the land--all in the name of Christmas tradition.

And that doesn't factor in the fuel burnt cutting down the tree nor the gas needed to ship it to a local retailer. As much as I love the smell, feel, and look of a fresh tree, it just don't seem like something I could support anymore. Not when it's such an obvious waste.

The Girlfriend and I have a fake tree. And as much as I want it to feel like Christmas, having a fake tree feels so bogus. I know the Christmas spirit is your heart and all that crap, but I feel so unfulfilled--it's like our Christmas tree is a prop on a movie set.

There's something to be said about a fresh tree--it's a real thing of beauty and cannot be replicated by even the best 'imitation' trees. But despite that, I'm gonna hafta stick with the fake tree. I feel like I'm cheating Christmas, but what's three weeks of tradition compared the future of the earth (now I do sound like one of those tree-hugging hippies). It's sad, but some traditions have to go--it's the best thing for the Big Picture.

That being said, I wonder if Al Gore has a fake tree...

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