Why Christmas trees are so expensive

+ Taylor Swift is Time's Person of the Year US Edition - Today's top story: Oh, Christmas tree: The economics of the US holiday tree industry [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 December 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Israel’s intelligence failures]( - [Louisa May Alcott’s pseudonyms are still turning up]( - [Why 152 bird species are getting new names]( Lead story It’s the most wonderful time of year for the Christmas tree trade. The industry, which sustains thousands of tree farms across the U.S. and at least two national lobbying groups, rakes in billions of dollars every year. That it’s lucrative should come as no surprise: A live evergreen can easily set a shopper back $100 or more. Why are many Americans shelling out so much green for their trees? In search of answers, Boston University business professors Jay Zagorsky and Patrick Abouchalache dove into the data to understand [how market forces shape the country’s Christmas-tree-acquiring habits](.
 The results are as illuminating as an LED tree-topper. (Here’s a personal-finance tip courtesy of my dad, a legendary procrastinator: You can get a steep discount if you show up at the tree stand at 11:59 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Whether you should is an entirely different matter.) [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]( Tracy Walsh Economy + Business Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you]( Peace, joy and profit margins: Retailers sell Christmas trees at a markup of up to 500%. Iuliia Bondar/Getty Images Plus [Oh, Christmas tree: The economics of the US holiday tree industry]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University; Patrick Abouchalache, Boston University The spirit of the season is free, but that tree is going to cost you. Politics + Society - [How new reports reveal Israeli intelligence underestimated Hamas and other key weaknesses]( John Joseph Chin, Carnegie Mellon University; Haleigh Bartos, Carnegie Mellon University Recent media coverage mostly confirms the role of faulty threat assessments, Hamas’ improved operational security, and confirmation bias. - [Taylor Swift: Person of the year and political influencer]( Matt Harris, Park University Pittsburgh’s mayor renamed the city ‘Swiftsburgh’ when the singer’s tour hit town. He’s not the only politician who has publicly fawned over the star. - [Biases behind transgender athlete bans are deeply rooted]( George B. Cunningham, University of Florida; Kelsey Garrison, University of Florida Sports researchers learned that conservative political leanings among state legislators lead to biases against transgender athletes among voters. - Arts + Culture - [How I identified a probable pen name of Louisa May Alcott]( Max Chapnick, Northeastern University By disguising her name, Alcott could publish in less prestigious venues without worrying about tarnishing her literary reputation. Environment + Energy - [Every name tells a story – here’s why dozens of North American bird species are getting new ones]( Jared Del Rosso, University of Denver What’s in a name? A lot, if you’re an Audubon’s Oriole or a Townsend’s Solitaire. - [Don’t applaud the climate summit’s loss and damage fund deal just yet – it might not warrant that standing ovation]( Shannon Gibson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences The agreement still leaves many unanswered questions, as well as concerns from vulnerable countries about who will qualify, who pays and who is in charge. Health + Medicine - [What does weight-inclusive health care mean? A dietitian explains what some providers are doing to end weight stigma]( Lauren Butler, Texas State University Research shows that focusing strictly on weight loss is not only ineffective in the long term, it can even be harmful and counterproductive. Science + Technology - [Disinformation is rampant on social media – a social psychologist explains the tactics used against you]( H. Colleen Sinclair, Louisiana State University Disinformation campaigns often use a set of rhetorical devices that you can learn to spot, like conspiracy narratives, good versus evil framing, and revealed secrets. - [Earth may have had all the elements needed for life within it all along − contrary to theories that these elements came from meteorites]( Shichun Huang, University of Tennessee; Wenzhong Wang, University of Science and Technology of China Scientists analyzing isotope ratios have found that many of the elements that make up life could be left over from Earth’s formation. - [When research study materials don’t speak their participants’ language, data can get lost in translation]( Sonia Colina, University of Arizona Translation involves more than just transferring words from one language to another. Better translations of study materials can improve both the diversity of study participants and research results. Trending on site - [Real or artificial? A forestry scientist explains how to choose the most sustainable Christmas tree, no matter what it’s made of]( - [Texas is suing Planned Parenthood for $1.8B over $10M in allegedly fraudulent services it rendered – a health care economist explains what’s going on]( - [Why Franklin, Washington and Lincoln considered American democracy an ‘experiment’ – and were unsure if it would survive]( Today's graphic 📈 [From July 2019 through December 2021, 2,231 adolescents ages 10 to 19 died of an overdose. Percentages don't add to 100 because some categories overlap, and in many overdose deaths multiple drugs are involved.]( From the story, [Dozens of US adolescents are dying from drug overdoses every month − an expert on substance use unpacks the grim numbers with 3 charts]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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