Al Gore & the Pope's Holiday Un-Greenery

Apologies in advance for mentioning Al Gore. Don't be upset - my purpose this time is to amuse:

"Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient, and a building-industry group has praised the house as one of the nation's most environmentally friendly.

The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs — even on his Christmas tree." - AP

... did you catch it? That's right, Al Gore murdered a tree. Unless, of course, he went outside and decorated a living tree. Or had the tree delicately removed from its soil with the roots intact. Somehow, I doubt it.

Of course, over in uber-industrialized Rome, Pope Benedict has wantonly decreed the merciless felling of a mighty, old-growth, 140-year-old, 75-foot-plus, 3-ton Christmas tree. With the decoration lights included, I have no idea how much net carbon dioxide is going to be released into the atmosphere. Probably some.

To add insult to injury, that huge tree is going to be plopped-down right next to a nativity scene.

What are its seventeen life-sized nativity figures made from? You guessed it: previously-living wood.

And the worst of it is, Santa can't give either of these two a lump of coal for Christmas. They might burn it.