We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[Flapjack]

Do we really need to bother that an old lady puts plastic flowers in her window?
Plastic flowers are a way of recycling 000's of tons of used plastic, as well as providing employment for someone in China, if all are happy then who are we to say it is wrong. Most people that put plastic into their windows do so because the environment in their homes does not support the cultivation of living material. Quite simply the atmosphere is too dry and too dark to grow plants other than succulents and cacti. The way forward is to teach the kids how to grow plants and the first thing is to make them enjoy plants. I volunteer my time to teach garden science in a primary school and the kids love it. This afternoon I have had a class of 7-8 year olds and you would be surprised what they do not know. Where does potatoes come from? "The supermarket". Which insects do we kill "All of them" Never do you hear my father showed me that, it is always my grandpa showed me, it is though we have missed a generation to the supermarket/garden centre.

What we need do is encourage everyone to grow a plant, it does not matter whether it be indoors or out even to the point of sponsoring the planting of a tree

[DougF]

Flapjack
Never do you hear my father showed me that, it is always my grandpa showed me, it is though we have missed a generation to the supermarket/garden center.

this is true I have seen it with my own eyes, we have lost a whole generation
to the computer / video games (IMHO)

What we need do is encourage everyone to grow a plant, it does not matter whether it be indoors or out even to the point of sponsoring the planting of a tree

A good place to start.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Flapjack

Do we really need to bother that an old lady puts plastic flowers in her window?
Plastic flowers are a way of recycling 000's of tons of used plastic, as well as providing employment for someone in China, if all are happy then who are we to say it is wrong. Most people that put plastic into their windows do so because the environment in their homes does not support the cultivation of living material.

Nice thoughts
I ran a garden class at my kid's primary school too. Some of the boys really enjoyed the "engineering" waterworks, messy side of it. Eventually the mum's picking up their kids came with big plastic bags to wrap their kids in before they took them home.
We were once visited by a delegation of Japanese visitors with the Headmaster. What they made of our chaotic mess of plants, mud and water I will never know.

I object to plastic plants for a number of reasons

• they use petrochemicals, I doubt if china uses recycled plastic
• It is the easy option, plants don't have dying leaves etc. But this removes us from the realities of nature.
• Plastic plants don't breathe,
  • don't remove pollutants
  • or store carbon
  • or do anything else for the environment as real plants do.
• plastic plants are a lie.

My local shopping mall has about 50 x 6-7metre high plastic palms. If they weren't such cheapskates they could hire a gardener and arrange for adequate lighting;(which is actually available from the glass roof) thus giving a healthier environment for everyone.

Many fast food outlets, banks and government offices have plastic plants. It is a lie, a con giving the impression of a green environment.

I am still looking for a slogan I can put on a sticker and attach to above office type plastic plants. "Please grow a real breathing carbon absorbing plant" don't really cut it. "Plastaliban was here and we are watching you"?

Perhaps a more positive approach:-
"Thank you for growing a real plant and helping the environment"
perhaps a logo like below?
Suggestions will be welcomed for my budding Plastic Plant Terrorist Group. PPTG

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Suggestions will be welcomed for my budding Plastic Plant Terrorist Group.

You could exploit one of the primary weaknesses of plastic vs. real ornamental plants – using a stencil and some acrylic paint, air-spray a catchy label like “100% PLASTIC” in 7.5 cm letters on the offending plants. While the real item will eventually shed off such insults, faux plastic is stuck with it.

As with any guerilla action, you need to take care be discriminating. Vandalizing the decorations of poor old folk spending their limited money for a little low-maintenance beauty in their lives will not win you support, while targeting public spaces where real plants are a viable alternative, and the victims perceived by the public as the heartless rich, might.

And keep your eco-terrorist gang away from my X-Mass tree! It’s as faux as can be, though by mass, more steel than plastic, and what plastic it has post-consumer and domestically (American) manufactured. Artificial X-Mass trees are, IMHO, ecologically preferable to cut pine trees, and if well-maintained and repaired, can last generations.

Though live trees are arguably better, my best efforts with a dozen or so of these have produced at best a couple nice lawn ornaments, more often aberrant little invader pine woods, and most often of all, sad, dead snags that have to be ripped out and dragged to a recycling center and shredded (both at appreciable energy cost) into over-acidic mulch so low-quality that the county has difficulty giving it away.

I like my steel and plastic faux tree. It’s an ornament hanger that looks (if you don’t look too closely) like a perfectly symmetrical, healthy tree, won’t dry out, drop needles, or catch fire, and can be quickly broken down and stored between seasons.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by CraigD

You could exploit one of the primary weaknesses of plastic vs. real ornamental plants – using a stencil and some acrylic paint, air-spray a catchy label like “100% PLASTIC” in 7.5 cm letters on the offending plants. While the real item will eventually shed off such insults, faux plastic is stuck with it.

Any ideas on how many years I would get for that?

As with any guerilla action, you need to take care be discriminating. Vandalizing the decorations of poor old folk spending their limited money for a little low-maintenance beauty in their lives will not win you support, while targeting public spaces where real plants are a viable alternative, and the victims perceived by the public as the heartless rich, might.

Yes, agreed, excellent advice.
(I must check out Parliament House.)
It is a battle for hearts and minds.

Any thoughts on a Che Guevara type T-shirt for the faithful?

Could we make The Movement a church and get tax breaks?

And keep your eco-terrorist gang away from my X-Mass tree! It’s as faux as can be, though by mass, more steel than plastic, and what plastic it has post-consumer and domestically (American) manufactured. Artificial X-Mass trees are, IMHO, ecologically preferable to cut pine trees, and if well-maintained and repaired, can last generations.

UM. . .blush. . . my wife has the biggest tree available with about 10,000 decorations. True! The photo is even too big to load. This year we gave up taking it down. It's only 8-10 weeks to Chrissy now.

We might have to have a special exemption for Christmas Trees.
You know like Christmas house lights don't really use up energy or produce CO2? It is a remarkable scientific fact. We don't want to be kill-joys

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Any ideas on how many years I would get for that?

According to this article (there is a better one, but can't be arsed to find it right now), it is a felony to criminally destroy property. In this case the guy broke a window at the Waffle House. Because the window is valued at over $500, it is considered a felony here in Georgia. A bit extreme if you ask me.

Any thoughts on a Che Guevara type T-shirt for the faithful?

Not off the top of my head, but I'll keep it in mind.

Could we make The Movement a church and get tax breaks?

Why not? We could be plant worshippers who scorn the false idols.

UM. . .blush. . . my wife has the biggest tree available with about 10,000 decorations. True! The photo is even too big to load. This year we gave up taking it down. It's only 8-10 weeks to Chrissy now.

We might have to have a special exemption for Christmas Trees.
You know like Christmas house lights don't really use up energy or produce CO2? It is a remarkable scientific fact. We don't want to be kill-joys

Christmas trees waste so many resources. It's sad we still cling to the tradition. It's even sadder that most people don't know where the tradition even came from.

But here's an interesting question, Which has the least net impact on the environment: real trees or fake trees?

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Not off the top of my head, but I'll keep it in mind.

Sorry brother/ comrade? Freeztar they won't let me give you rep. for that inspiring, intellectually challenging, thoughtful, articulate, brilliant, (because you are sympathetic to The Cause) post.
Keep working on the T shirt idea. I have faith in you.
Some how my idea of a 'ban circle' (A circle with a diagonal line though it) with a plastic plant in the background just does seem too ambiguous.

Why not? We could be plant worshippers who scorn the false idols.

Now you are talking! I may still archive my ambition -to see if extreme wealth makes me unhappy - yet!
False idols mmm very good
A Crystal Palace Church that doubles as a glasshouse mmm

Christmas trees waste so many resources. It's sad we still cling to the tradition. It's even sadder that most people don't know where the tradition even came from.

My wife attended a Catholic boarding school. Then studied Religion at the St. Thomas Aquinas academy for years. She was a senior history English teacher and studied ancient history and Anglo Saxon history and language and a little archaeology. (You now get some idea of why I am frightened of her)
So yes she knows where ALL the Christian/pagan traditions come from!!
It is a great loss to the Christian world that she is now an atheist.
Ironically Christmas is a VERY big deal in our family, mainly due to her Personally I am a bit appalled by the excesses of it. BTW Also strangel/ironically she strongly objects to people writing "Xmas"

(Interesting Halloween but no Easter smilies)

But here's an interesting question, Which has the least net impact on the environment: real trees or fake trees?

I don't think anyone really knows.
Artificial trees go on for years. Real trees cut down store CO2 but use fertilisre etc
Trees in pots?- too bloody expensive for most, and most die.
Good research PhD?

The University of Western Sydney is doing some research on trees and CO2 but it will be years before they know anything. Each tree is in its own little/huge "space capsule" so they can control as many variables as possible

[Ganoderma]

Originally Posted by CraigD

And keep your eco-terrorist gang away from my X-Mass tree! It’s as faux as can be, though by mass, more steel than plastic, and what plastic it has post-consumer and domestically (American) manufactured. Artificial X-Mass trees are, IMHO, ecologically preferable to cut pine trees, and if well-maintained and repaired, can last generations.

Though live trees are arguably better, my best efforts with a dozen or so of these have produced at best a couple nice lawn ornaments, more often aberrant little invader pine woods, and most often of all, sad, dead snags that have to be ripped out and dragged to a recycling center and shredded (both at appreciable energy cost) into over-acidic mulch so low-quality that the county has difficulty giving it away.

I like my steel and plastic faux tree. It’s an ornament hanger that looks (if you don’t look too closely) like a perfectly symmetrical, healthy tree, won’t dry out, drop needles, or catch fire, and can be quickly broken down and stored between seasons.

when i was still living in canada we used to go to a christmas tree farm and dig out the trees or buy potted trees. after christmas you go plant them in your yard and in a few years you have a nice shade tree. one of my friends ahs a nice little forest as his parents house from christmas trees.

[yellow]

when i was still living in canada we used to go to a christmas tree farm and dig out the trees or buy potted trees. after christmas you go plant them in your yard and in a few years you have a nice shade tree. one of my friends ahs a nice little forest as his parents house from christmas trees.

I think this is the first intelligent x-mas tree system I have ever heard of.
I give massive kudos to this idea, wish it were further implemented.
Anyone in the U.S. ever do this?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by yellow

I think this is the first intelligent x-mas tree system I have ever heard of.
I give massive kudos to this idea, wish it were further implemented.
Anyone in the U.S. ever do this?

My family did this scores of years ago, but only for one Christmas. The tree was still growing last I heard about 5 years ago. I think it was a Blue Spruce. I was so allergic to real trees as a child that I couldn't get near them to help decorate and my folks eventually went to an artificial tree that they used for many years.

My current household has a tree every year (I have outgrown my allergies) and we sometimes buy one cut if we are running behind, but most often we drive to a nearby Christmas tree farm and find & cut our own. We have secured permits from the forest service as well in the past, and driven into the mountains to find & cut a tree. The forest service provides guidelines so that the cutting is beneficial in thinning. I live in the Pacific Northwest US, so I do realize the advantage I have to many others throughout the US and other Christmas-tree-having lands.

Our community often allows the Scouts to organize collections of the trees after the holiday and they then chip them up to use in landscape etcetera.