Natural cork is a well-known material used in various industries due to its sheer quality and array of properties, but it is also one of the best weapons in the wine industry’s arsenal to combat the number one enemy: dangerous global warming
We’re going to look at all the ways this material helps the planet and why it has become one of the major forces in the fight against climate change.
The climate change emergency
As you well know, the planet is facing an environmental tipping point as a result of the direct or indirect actions of humans.
For years, we have sustained extremely harmful practices, such as the burning of fossil fuels, the clearing of huge swathes of forest, and the use of fertilizers and chemicals that have altered entire ecosystems.
The full consequences are yet to be seen, but we are already suffering some of them. For example, the increase in long periods of drought with periods of concentrated rainfall, ever more torrential downpours and/or hailstorms, the alteration of the seasons with increasingly unpredictable weather and extreme heat waves and cold snaps.
It goes without saying that one of the sectors worst affected is agriculture, including the wine industry,which is increasingly encountering difficulties and environmental disasters that greatly hinder production and profitability.
But there is more to come; some of the future consequences that have already been proven by the scientific community include:
- Global temperature risel, by up to 4.5º in Spain in the coming decades
- Decline in the quantity and quality of water. Some rivers in Spain will shrink by up to 50%.
- Sea level rise by up to 4mm per year.
The situation is dire. That is why so many countries and global experts are getting together to try and find solutions, as in the case of the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately, the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions have not wanted to join these agreements, so ultimately the pact will only address less than 12% of the world’s pollution.
Your ally against climate change. How does cork help reverse global warming?
Every day, the wine industry faces a number of challenges and risks, but none are as dreaded and damaging as global warming.
In recent years, the industry has suffered damage to vineyards directly related to climate change and millions of dollars of losses globally. This is why climate change is considered enemy number one of the wine industry.
This is where cork comes in. Not only because it is proven to be the best system so far for sealing and protecting quality wines, but also because it is fundamental in protecting the industry from destructive global warming.
Here are some of the many ways in which cork and its industry actively combat climate change:
It is a 100% natural and sustainable product
Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber).
It is obtained by periodically stripping the material on the outside of the trunk without causing any damage to the tree. After it is extracted, the material starts to regenerate—a process that usually takes between 9 and 14 years, depending on the region—until it recovers the qualities necessary to be harvested once more.
This cork formation and extraction process is totally natural and sustainable, very similar to the harvesting of fruits and vegetables, during which a tree maintains all its properties and vital functions.
It has a negative carbon footprint, which is positive for the planet.
The major contributor to our enemy global warming is CO2. That is why, every day, we try to reduce the emission levels and limits of these polluting gases.
The carbon footprint of the cork industry has been shown to be negative, meaning we absorb more CO2 than we emit. This means that this industry serves as a “purifying filter” for those industries with a positive carbon footprint, which are unfortunately in the majority.
In addition, cork oak forests absorb and capture more CO2 than other types of forests. Since these forests are considered useful productive sources for humans, the cork industry has managed to save millions of hectares from deforestation. This area is estimated to capture some 14 million tons of CO2 per year.
Plus, during the cork extraction process, the tree stays alive and keeps working at all times, which means that the forests act as a true air purifier for the planet all year round.
And last but not least, cork is a 100% natural material. By using it for wine stoppers, we are saving the atmosphere from huge quantities of CO2 from the plastic or iron and steel industry, estimated to emit over 10 times more.
By choosing cork as the raw material for our product, these emissions are reduced twofold.
Prevents desertification and retains water
Cork oak has a great capacity to retain water inside it and to balance humidity in its surrounding area, which results in a very positive water footprint for its ecosystem, greatly helping to regulate, protect, and conserve this resource.
Its water footprint and high resistance to fire lead to another of its most important qualities: its role in the fight against the harmful desertification that increasingly threatens to destroy ever more natural ecosystems, particularly in the type of arid Mediterranean environment where cork oaks tend to grow.
It must not be forgotten that desertification is another of the serious problems linked to global warming that we are facing.
Finally, it is important to mention how the cork oak acts to protect against increasingly frequent torrential rains and flooding. Thanks to the way in which they compact soil and filter water, these trees provide greater resistance to the forest floor, strengthening and protecting all the flora and fauna living in this ecosystem.
Protects endangered species
Some of the greatest biodiversity in Europe is found in the cork oak forests. They are home to several protected species, such as the Iberian lynx. The conservation and care of these fragile environments allows many precious species to live in secure and stable ecosystems.
Plastics, metals, and other harmful materials
As we have previously mentioned, the production of natural cork leaves a negative carbon footprint that helps eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere.
In contrast, the manufacture of other materials, such as plastic, results in CO2 emissions that are ten times higher.
Plastic is a multi-purpose material that is very cheap to produce, which has led to a veritable plastic rush over the years. Unlike cork, plastic does not biodegrade and its mass-dumping in natural areas like oceans has now landed us with yet another major environmental challenge: extreme plastic contamination of our seas and natural environments.
The choice of other materials such as metal also entails great harm to the planet. The bauxite mines from which aluminum is extracted and the metalworks that process it have pollution levels that are among some of the highest in the world.
This is why whenever we choose to use a natural and sustainable material like cork, we are helping enormously to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and the contamination of spaces with non-biodegradable materials.
Natural cork, a material of the future
Natural, recyclable, and sustainable. Cork represents one of the raw materials with the most promising future given its versatility, its great properties and its effects, which not only do not damage the planet, but are in fact positive for it.
Whether for cork stoppers, architectural or domestic materials, cork is gaining more and more ground in modern industry and is undoubtedly one of the leaders in this new generation of sustainable and environmentally-friendly industrial materials.
At TESA we are strongly committed to our planet and combatting the dangers of global warming. That is why in our facilities we use highly energy-efficient technology, eco-friendly products and, above all, we work with 100% natural cork, a sustainable and eco-friendly raw material.
If you would like more information, please get in touch with us. We would be delighted to help you.