Sketch about most important winter holidays

Very little time is left before the coming of, perhaps, the most insane series of holidays. Insane in terms of the amount of harm brought to the Nature, and therefore to the Mankind. This includes a bacchanal of shopping for gifts, Christmas trees, Christmas decorations and other nonsense things that pollute the environment to the post-apocalyptic state. But do people think about that? I think no, because they don't talk about that on TV. They talk about pollution from industrial enterprises, about the dangers of cows, chickens or sheep as the main causes of the so-called "global warming". But not a word about how much it costs to the Nature the celebration of their favorite holidays: the Christmas, the first day of the New Year, and the Three Kings.

For example, every year around 120 million trees are cut down around the World for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Usually, spruces, pines and fir trees at least 2 meters in height are used. In large cities, trees with 4-6 meters high are frequently installed. At the same time, it is known that in the first year a spruce seedling grows only 4 cm, from the second to the fifteenth year the tree grows 15-20 cm per year. And one adult tree produces about 120 kilograms of oxygen per year, i.e. almost 100 cubic meters. 

This is enough for a family of three for a year. The same tree can absorb as much carbon as the engine of a car emitted after several thousand kilometers. During its lifetime, a tree processes more than a ton of carbon dioxide. If you calculate, it turns out that because of these holidays, 3.6 billion people are deprived of oxygen every year! And if we take the amount for several years, then the number of trees cut down and people left without sufficient oxygen is terrifying.

Once upon a time, people thought that trees and plants are the lungs of the planet and its saviors. For example, in 1771, the English priest and naturalist Joseph Priestley decided to check whether it is true that the exhaled air becomes “dirty” and can negatively affect living organisms. To do this, he put a small mouse under an airtight cap and began his simple but very informative experiment. After some time, the mouse weakened, and then completely died in terrible agony. Then Priestley decided to add a plant to the experiment and placed under the cap not only a mouse, but also a mint sprout. The mouse moved freely under the hood and felt great for quite some time. So, Joseph Priestley was the first to study the influence of plants on the composition of the surrounding air.

But the threat to the Nature lies not only in this.

More than 50 million artificial Christmas trees are bought every season around the World. The following materials are used for their manufacture:

• A plastic made from oil is polyvinyl chloride. Its production results in the release of dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride, which increase the risk of cancer and adversely affect the human immune system.
• Steel, aluminum and cardboard.
• Spray white latex paint. This is to make the branches look like they are covered in snow. At the same time, in the modern world, the concept of “latex” does not characterize the chemical composition of the material, but indicates its liquid form (water dispersion). But in everyday life, latex paints mean products based on styrene-butadiene components. Butadiene is a dangerous carcinogen that causes damage to the central nervous system and other organs. Styrene negatively affects the function of the liver and kidneys, the circulatory and nervous systems. Prolonged exposure to styrene on the human body threatens with inflammation of the respiratory tract, irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, changes in blood composition, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.
• Lead for needles, which adversely affects the condition of the kidneys, nervous and reproductive systems.

 

During the production of artificial Christmas trees, carbon dioxide or "greenhouse" gas is released. It is precisely the increase in the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere that is considered the cause that leads to climate change - “global warming” with an increase in the number of natural disasters and temperature fluctuations.

The production and disposal of one artificial tree about two meters high emits approximately 40 kg of "greenhouse gases". About two-thirds of the carbon footprint of such a "tree" is the plastic from which it is made.

Disposable Christmas toys made of polystyrene, as well as crackers, balloons and sparklers, are produced in the World, and millions of tons are bought annually for the holidays, but they are not recycled, but sent to landfills in the form of billions of tons of garbage.

Popular modern Christmas decorations are usually also made of polystyrene. The material is recyclable, but it is toxic when heated. Special conditions are required for the disposal of this type of plastic.

What is the approximate amount of this muck, that is, sorry, "Christmas decoration"?

For example, one site sells a set of 12 Christmas tree balls, which comes in three different colors to choose from. Since the beginning of October, this set has been sold 10.7 thousand times. Their total weight with packaging is 128 grams.

Thus, on the garbage landfills, there may be 1.3 tons of waste, just because of one category of the Christmas stuff, of which there are thousands, if not millions, in stores. It is almost impossible to recycle them due to the toxicity of the materials.

Flappers, balloons and sparklers. They contain particles of plastic or coated metal, all of which cannot be recycled either.

Firecrackers and fireworks simply poison the air and increase the temperature, as the huge herds of cows and other animals recently accused of "global warming" did not dream of.

And that's not all either.

Approximately 100 million pots of poinsettia, a house plant, are bought every year for the Christmas day in Europe. The same amount is thrown away as garbage. Although, if you take care of this flower, it will grow and delight you for many years. In addition, this flower, like a spruce, and indeed any plant, is alive, and according to various beliefs in the past (for some reason again, only in the past!), feels pain. Thus, those who buy and throw away plants are ordinary killers who do not even think about their actions.

"Is it all?" - you ask. No, that's not all.

Let's remember another favorite modern fun - the illumination of living trees.

Many insects have a reaction to moving to light. Therefore, artificially illuminated plants often have an excessive number of consumers of leaves and trunk bark, which are attracted by illumination in the evening. Light bulbs knock insects out of their biorhythm, and they, being active at night, destroy the illuminated trees. Scientists draw attention to the fact that serious studies on the dangers of artificial lighting on trees have not yet been conducted. But, given the fact that any violation of the laws of nature affects it adversely, it is presumptuous to say that lanterns on a living Christmas tree will not affect it in any way.

What about street decorations that are bought every year? These are millions of tons of toxic plastic, again, later thrown into the trash.

Is all this madness really necessary? Do you ever think that because of this, next year may be the last in the life of this planet? Do you ever think that by this way you dig a grave for yourself and your children, continuing to destroy, pollute, fill up everything with poisonous garbage every year? Is this celebration worth that?

An old Finnish legend says that whoever cuts down an adult spruce will lose his luck for a long time, and the spirit of this tree will haunt him. In many legends of the World, it was said that those who cut down this or that tree would soon die a terrible death.

As a child, I watched a movie about the Easter Island, about how the natives cut down the last tree on the island for their ritual. I didn't believe in it. I thought: all of humanity cannot be the same as that tribe from the Easter Island.

But years passed, and I realized that it could be. Now I have no doubt that if there is only one fir tree left on the planet Earth, the very last tree, the very last plant, people will come and cut it down in order to arrange their bacchanal holiday.

Therefore, do not be surprised when the Planet or the Universal Mind, the Mother Nature or the ancient Gods, who are still alive, no matter what, respond to your orgy with their own action, such as natural anomalies or natural disasters, natural fires, floods, heat, cold, hurricanes and tsunami...

In my opinion, all these punishments are quite fair. If people are so unreasonable that they themselves stop doing bad deeds, then the only thing that can stop them is punishment or the animal fear of this very punishment. The fear is greater than the desire to destroy everything around in the name of money and the dubious pleasures that this money will give him, like booze, drugs and sex. Someday, this someone or this something will punish humanity. But when He or It finally succeeds in this, let this humanity not ask “for what” and “why”, but humbly accept punishment as a just punishment, or... before it’s too late, if it’s not too late, stop doing their atrocities. For today and tomorrow. In the name of the Nature. In the name of the Planet. In the name of themselves.