It's nice to see the front page photo about this year's Christmas tree to be displayed in front of City Hall ("City Hall spruces up," Dec. 11). The huge spruce, cut from a yard in Parkville, will certainly look special for all to see.
Many of The Sun's readers were born in the 1940s. According to scientists, over half of all the trees that were on the earth at that time have been cut down to satisfy the needs of the out-of-control population growth. Houses and office buildings, fire wood, cardboard and furniture, to mention but a few "end products" of these trees, have supplied the uncontrolled multiplication of human beings, now at 7 billion of us (and counting).
In one recent year, an area in Indonesia the size of the entire country of Italy was totally deforested to provide lumber for the home building industry in China, according to international scientists who monitor such environmental man-made destruction.
I suggest that next year all community Christmas trees in this country be electronic images of trees shown on a huge screen in front of all city halls, community parks and other public buildings including the White House as a means of publicizing what our species is doing to this earth we inherited. Even if we adults do not then see the graphic "wake up call" of population control failures, who among us will be able to lie to children as they look at the giant tree on a screen when they ask, "Where have all the trees gone, mommy and daddy?"
By the time those youngsters can start their own families, maybe they will see that the devouring of nature is avoidable as is overpopulation and disrespect for the earth.
Edgar C. Ludwig, Baltimore