|
About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Free newsletter |
|
|
How that cork in your wine bottle helps forests and biodiversity, an interview with Patrick SpencerJeremy Hancemongabay.com March 01, 2010 "First and foremost, the trees are not cut down; the outer bark is harvested, by hand, every 9 years. This allows the tree to consume 10 tons more carbon dioxide," explains Patrick Spencer to mongabay.com. "The trees in these managed forests live 250-300 years. In maintaining sustainable farming practices, farmers ensure the health of the cork tress in this fragile eco-system."
"Cork is a natural, environmentally friendly product," Spencer says. "By recycling cork, we reduce the amount of product going into landfills and create 'green jobs'. The recycling also brings awareness to the Mediterranean cork forests and their importance to the planet’s ecological health." If cork stoppers are replaced by aluminum or plastic caps it will place the rich ecosystems of the cork forests in jeopardy: without providing jobs and income, the forests would likely be converted in many areas. Currently, the cork industry employs 100,000 people across the Mediterranean. In addition, according to Spencer cork is far and away the 'greenest' option for wine bottles. For example, aluminum screwcaps cannot be recycled like cork because "the plastic closure in the top of the cap and the size of the screwcap make it almost impossible to recycle." Spencer adds that "the mining for Bauxite, from which aluminum is made, remains one of the most environmentally harmful mining practices in the world. The production of screwcaps gives off 24 times more greenhouse gasses than producing one cork as well as using 10 times more energy." Plastic is little better: its greenhouse gas emissions are 10 times that of cork and plastic is hardly biodegradable or sustainable like cork. "[Cork] has been the closure of choice for 300 years," Spencer says. "All of the great vintage wines that collectors have purchased or won at auction have been closed with natural cork. Recently, a very rare bottle of Bordeaux sold at auction for $25,000.00. The winner put their faith in that little piece of wood, that the bottle of wine was still drinkable. That should tell you something about cork." INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK SPENCER Mongabay: What is your background?
Mongabay: How did the organization Cork ReHarvest come about? Patrick Spencer: In researching cork for Willamette Valley Vineyards, I learned a great deal about the Mediterranean cork forests and about the billions of natural corks that come to the US each year. I soon realized there were two issues surrounding cork: 1) 99% of corks end up in landfills. 2) There is a great deal of misinformation about cork and the cork forests. In working with the Rainforest Alliance, Whole Foods Markets and Western Pulp, we developed a pilot program to collect and recycle natural wine corks in the Pacific Northwest. Starting with the 11 WFM stores in Washington and Oregon, the program not only collects and recycles cork, but does so without increasing our carbon footprint. Since that time (February 2009) we have expanded to Whole Foods Market stores throughout the US and Canada. We have added partners such as Harrah’s Entertainment, Cork Supply USA as well as wineries across America. CORK FORESTS AND HARVESTING Mongabay: Where are the world's cork forests and what makes them unique?
Mongabay: What are some important species inhabiting these forests? Patrick Spencer: The Iberian Lynx (the most critically endangered feline in the world), Iberian Imperial Eagle, Barbary Deer, Black-shouldered Kite, Corn Bunting, also, millions of North European bird species make their winter home in the cork forests. Mongabay: Most forest-related extractive industries damage the forest. Why does the harvesting of cork not hurt the forest? Patrick Spencer: First and foremost, the trees are not cut down; the outer bark is harvested, by hand, every 9 years. This allows the tree to consume 10 tons more carbon dioxide. The trees in these managed forests live 250-300 years. In maintaining sustainable farming practices, farmers ensure the health of the cork tress in this fragile eco-system. Mongabay: How many people does cork harvesting currently employ?
CORK RECYCLING Mongabay: Why is it important to recycle cork? Patrick Spencer: Cork is a natural, environmentally friendly product. By recycling cork, we reduce the amount of product going into landfills and create "green jobs." The recycling also brings awareness to the Mediterranean cork forests and their importance to the planet’s ecological health. Mongabay: What is the process of recycling cork? Patrick Spencer: Generally the cork is ground up and used in a number of consumer and industrial products. Some examples are: cork floor tile, gaskets for the automotive industry, shoe beds, wine shippers, decorative items and the ever present cork board. Mongabay: Why is cork a better choice than a plastic or aluminum cap on wine bottles? Patrick Spencer: Cork is renewable, sustainable, natural and environmentally friendly. It has been the closure of choice for 300 years. All of the great vintage wines that collectors have purchased or won at auction have been closed with natural cork. Recently, a very rare bottle of Bordeaux sold at auction for $25,000.00. The winner put their faith in that little piece of wood, that the bottle of wine was still drinkable. That should tell you something about cork. Though aluminum can be recycled, aluminum screwcaps aren't. The plastic closure in the top of the cap and the size of the screwcap make it almost impossible to recycle. The mining for Bauxite, from which aluminum is made, remains one of the most environmentally harmful mining practices in the world. The production of screwcaps gives off 24 times more greenhouse gasses than producing one cork as well as using 10 times more energy. Unlike natural corks, many synthetic wine closures are made from materials that are not biodegradable and are not sustainably sourced. Disadvantages of synthetic corks include; a difficulty in extracting them from the bottle, the inability to use the plastic cork to reseal the wine, and that some can also impart a slight chemical flavor to the wine. CO2 emissions per 1000 stoppers: Aluminum 37.161 grams, Plastic 14.716 grams, and Cork 1.437 grams. Mongabay: What else is cork used for–or could it be used for—aside from capping wine bottles?
Mongabay: How much cork has your organization recycled since your beginnings in 2008? Patrick Spencer: In our first year, we collected 1.5 million corks, or approximately 5 tons. We expect the program to grow 10 fold this year. Mongabay: If someone is not close to a cork recycling location is there anything they can do? Patrick Spencer: We are working to develop more collection and recycling centers as the program grows, please check our website as we are adding partners daily. Mongabay: How do you spread the word about cork? Patrick Spencer: I’m trying to save the world, one bottle of wine at a time. Please visit our website: www.corkreharvest.org. Mongabay: How can people help out cork forests? Patrick Spencer: Ask your local wine retailer and restaurateur to commit to purchasing wines from wineries that only use natural cork. Please make a tax deductable contribution to Cork ReHarvest at our website. _in_Kawal_WS,_AP_W_IMG_1681.jpg) Black-shouldered kite (Elanus caeruleus). Photo by: JM Garg. Related articles Saving biodiversity 'on the same scale' as climate change: German Chancellor (01/11/2010) In a kick-off event for the UN's Year of Biodiversity, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, compared the importance of saving biodiversity to stopping climate change. Reforestation effort would lower Britain's greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent (11/25/2009) A study by Britain's Forestry Commission found that planting 23,000 hectares of forest every year for the next 40 years would lower the island nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent, according to reporting by the BBC. Investing in conservation could save global economy trillions of dollars annually (09/03/2009) By investing billions in conserving natural areas now, governments could save trillions every year in ecosystem services, such as natural carbon sinks to fight climate change, according to a European report The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).
Tags: europe africa forests sustainability conservation endangered species saving species from extinction birds mammals animals wildlife biodiversity green environment jeremy hance activism avoided carbon conservation carbon emissions carbon sequestration climate change corporate role in conservation deforestation economics ecological services ecosystem finance ecosystem services environmental activism environmental services global warming mitigation green business greenhouse gas emissions in-situ conservation plants sustainable forest management temperate forests interview interviews Environmental news index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements:
 T-shirts, shopping bags, calendars, and more.
|
|
|
DON'T LIKE ADS? Become a mongabay supporter WEEKLY NEWSLETTER RECENT FEATURES
POPULAR PAGES Photos
BOOKS BY MONGABAY AUTHORS
FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS 
|
| |
|
Copyright mongabay 2010 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region. Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. |
