What kind of Christmas tree is “greenest”?

Don't stress about what kind of Christmas tree to buy, but reuse artificial trees and compost natural ones [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 11 December 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair [Support The Conversation. Our board will match your gift.]( Editor's note For many people, trimming the tree is the best part of Christmas – but Americans are increasingly buying artificial trees, whether for convenience, aesthetics or because they see them as more Earth-friendly choices than fresh-cut trees. Actually, as Michigan State University forestry and horticulture professor Bert Cregg explains, neither real nor artificial trees have major environmental impacts – especially if you [do the right thing with them after the holidays](. British Prime Minister Theresa May has spent two years trying to do the right thing when it comes to Brexit. Despite the fact that May never supported the U.K.’s departure from the European Union, she attempted to honor the will of the people by negotiating an exit deal. Yesterday, with May facing almost certain defeat, she postponed the vote – making a second referendum more likely. “Technically and legally May was within her rights,” Andy Price of Sheffield Hallam University writes for The Conversation UK. “However, [the political optics are another thing altogether.](” When it comes to politics, career and romance, do you feel like you make carefully informed decisions? Are your judgments based on lots of scrupulously weighed evidence? Experimental psychologist Nadav Klein writes that you probably would answer yes to those questions – [and that you’d probably be wrong](. Jennifer Weeks Environment + Energy Editor Top stories Scotch pines on a Christmas tree farm in northern Michigan. Bert Cregg [Don’t stress about what kind of Christmas tree to buy, but reuse artificial trees and compost natural ones]( Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Both natural and artificial Christmas trees have environmental impacts, but they're not major. What matters most is what happens to the trees after the holidays. These two have failed to come up with a solution to this problem. PA [Brexit vote postponed: what parliament must do now to fix Theresa May’s mess]( Andy Price, Sheffield Hallam University We can't agree what the 'will of the people' was in 2016, but these are the representatives they elected in 2017. You’re probably wrong about how long it would take you to know they’re ‘the one.’ rawpixel/Unsplash [You make decisions quicker and based on less information than you think]( Nadav Klein, University of Chicago New research confirms that people tend to rush to judgment, in spite of believing their own decisions and those of others are carefully based on lots of evidence and data. And that can be good or bad. Environment + Energy - [Do climate policies ‘kill jobs’? An economist on why they don’t cause massive unemployment]( Garth Heutel, Georgia State University Multiple studies have found the overall impact on labor markets to be minor, even if some workers will need new career paths. Politics + Society - [Denying transgender identity has serious impact on mental health]( Bethany Grace Howe, University of Oregon A survey done of transgender people right after they read a story on the government's move to deny transgender identity shows the emotional impact that denying that identity can have. [Now, more than ever, the public needs to hear the voices of experts. Help us elevate them above the crowd, with a tax-deductible donation.]( Economy + Business - [Trump presidency’s personnel turmoil stands in stark contrast to the ‘nice guy’ administration of George H. W. Bush]( Eric Stern, University at Albany, State University of New York The significant churn in the Trump administration has caused confusion in foreign policymaking. In contrast, Bush's presidency was marked by collegiality, which contributed to many successes. 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From our International Editions - [Sexual violence as a weapon of war: why the Nobel Prize for Peace matters]( Angela Muvumba Sellström, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) – USPC The awarding of the Nobel Prize for Peace to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad should strengthen efforts against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. - [Have we reached Peak Car?]( Barry Cross, Queen's University, Ontario With car manufacturers closing down factories, and self-driving technologies improving and becoming more widely accepted, have we reached Peak Car? - [Designing cities to counter loneliness? Let’s explore the possibilities]( Tanzil Shafique, University of Melbourne The cities we build in turn shape our society. So when so many of us feel lonely, we should aim to apply what we know about the social impacts of design to help people connect with each other. Today’s quote [“By investing some time into exercise now, you get to cash in later.”]( [Move more, sit less – great advice, but how can we make time for exercise?]( David E. Conroy Pennsylvania State University [David E. Conroy] Sherry Pagoto University of Connecticut [Sherry Pagoto] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111