Posts by mark taslov
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until then, skipping off the ire+w.
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there's a few that post here that get right up my nose,
Sorry dude. If it's any consolation, I'm retiring from the site in a couple of minutes. Merry Christmas.
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Mark, is there some reason your stuff news item link actually points to the lyrics for "Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil?
Strange, I thought it linked to the song, is there no play button? Blocked in NZ surely not? I wanted to see if I could double link. It was Friday...and if you can play it, that'd be a rollrick.
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Bart's said exactly what I'd've liked to. PAS keeps me feeling somewhat connected to NZ,
Same, and despite stirring a bit, I love you all; inversely proportionally to the same time last year. Respect.
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Should probably include this on the thread.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3175680/Compromise-over-h-in-Wanganui
Well who would've guessed.......
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Readers feeling the need to unburden themselves of other noughty thoughts are invited to avail themselves of the discussion thread for this post.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture census for 2002 (the census is done every five years) there were 21,904 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, 180,897 hectares (447,006 acres) were planted in Christmas trees, and 13,849 farms harvested cut trees. The top 5 percent of the farms (40 hectares / 100 acres or more) sold 61 percent of the trees. The top 26 percent of the farms (8 hectares / 20 acres or more) sold 84 percent of the trees. Farms less than 0.8 hectare (two acres) comprised 21 percent of the farms, and sold an average of 115 trees per farm.[21]..........
.....The debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. Generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterpart.[36] On the other side of the debate, trade groups such as the American Christmas Tree Association, continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment and maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties.[37] In the past, lead was often used as a stabilizer in PVC, but is now banned by Chinese laws. Most trees are made of recycled PVC rigid sheets using Tin stabilizer in the recent years. Its use of Lead stabilizer in the old Chinese imported trees has been an issue of concern among politicians and scientists over recent years. A 2004 study found that while in general artificial trees pose little health risk from lead contamination, there do exist "worst-case scenarios" where major health risks to young children exist.[38] Another report, this time a 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report, found that as the PVC in artificial Christmas trees aged it began to degrade.[39] The report determined that of the 50 million artificial trees in the United States approximately 20 million were 9 or more years old, the point where dangerous lead contamination levels are reached.[39] A professional study on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of both real and fake Christmas trees revealed that one must use its artificial Christmas tree at least during 20 years to leave an environmental footprint as small as the natural Christmas tree.[40]A small amount of real-tree material is used in some artificial trees. For instance, the bark of a real tree can be used to surface an artificial trunk.[41]
[edit]Natural
Natural Christmas trees on the other hand are entirely biodegradable and are often reused by tree farms or local governments as woodchips or mulch.
Real or Cut trees are used only for a short time, but can be recycled and used as mulch or used to prevent erosion.[42] Real trees are carbon-neutral, they emit no more carbon dioxide by being cut down and disposed of than they absorb while growing.[43] An independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, conducted by a firm of experts in sustainable development, states that a natural tree will generate 3.1 kg of greenhouse gases whereas the artificial tree will produce 8.1 kg per year.[40] Some people use Living Christmas or potted trees, so they plant it later to help ease the CO2 levels, making it the greenest choice.[citation needed] Living Christmas trees can be reused for several seasons, providing a longer life cycle for each tree. Living Christmas trees can be purchased or rented in by local market growers. Rentals are picked up after the holidays, while purchased trees can be planted by the owner after use or donated to local tree adoption/urban reforestation services. [3]
Live trees are typically grown as a crop and replanted in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable habitat for wildlife.[citation needed] In some cases management of Christmas tree crops can result in poor habitat since it sometimes involves heavy input of pesticides.[citation needed]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree
Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau reveal that expenditure in department stores nationwide rose from $20.8 billion in November 2004 to $31.9 billion in December 2004, an increase of 54 percent. In other sectors, the pre-Christmas increase in spending was even greater, there being a November - December buying surge of 100 percent in bookstores and 170 percent in jewelry stores. In the same year employment in American retail stores rose from 1.6 million to 1.8 million in the two months leading up to Christmas.[101] Industries completely dependent on Christmas include Christmas cards, of which 1.9 billion are sent in the United States each year, and live Christmas Trees, of which 20.8 million were cut in the USA in 2002.[102]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
Maybe this is not the year for en mass ;) reconsideration of how we celebrate this, but a time needs to come soon. As the cause for celebration dwindles, sold as transformers.
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Weird, isn't it? I have no idea how or why it came about.
I just assumed you were running for the mayoralty of Super City (not Auckland) or something.
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