The debate over whether real Christmas trees are more eco friendly than artificial trees rages on. It seems the real argument is starting to edge out the justification for fake, plastic trees.

The old concept of going into the forest to cut down a tree (a la Clark Griswold) is outdated. The majority of trees are now grown as crops, and as a result, millions of trees are planted each year. Trees suck carbon dioxide out of the air. You must see where I’m going with this. Many crop growers replant a tree for every one that is cut down. Additionally, real trees can be recycled and used for a variety of purposes, including being ground into garden mulch.

According to Bruce Littlefield, author of "Merry Christmas, America!: Megawatt Displays Across the U.S.A, the only way to make a plastic tree is to recycle someone’s old, discarded tree. Otherwise they are likely to take up residence in a landfill when an owner throws it away. Add to that, the fact that China sent 12 millions trees to the U.S. last year (I’m sure I don’t need to open up the can of worms as to why that is problematic) and it seems that the case for real trees is pretty airtight.

For more reasons to choose with a real tree, as well as other eco-friendly decorating and gift ideas, click the link to view the article.

» MSN Finance