[LEMONS] 4.05.2002
Did you know that using a cork--rather than plastic or rubber--stopper in a bottle of wine is good for the environment? Me either. I would have assumed we were deforesting cork, um, forests somewhere. Not so:
"The Montado -- the region where the Iberian peninsula's cork forests are found -- is among the very few places where cork oak grows. What's more, though, those plantations are one of the most perfect examples of sustainable and wildlife-friendly farming in the world. If a significant number of vintners switch to plastic, the commodity price of cork could plunge, and these farmers could be put out of business. And if the cork oak forests fall into disuse, they will surely be cut down in favor of fast-growing, less sustainable wood harvesting projects like pine or eucalyptus, or for holiday condos and amusement parks. That would mean loss of habitat for rare birds like the imperial eagle and mammals like the Iberian lynx, and would be the final nail in the coffin of some of the last rural communities in Europe that survive through sustainable farming practices. ."
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