Cork vs Synthetic Wine Stopper - Case Study Example

Cork vs. Synthetic Wine Stopper Introduction Consequentialism refers to the moral theories which hold that the consequences of any particular action form the basis for valid moral judgments about such an action (Mullender, 2000). Historically, the term consequentialism was coined by Anscombe (1958) as a description of what she saw as the central error of certain moral theories, and has since become a common term in the English language ethical theory. Consequentialism, therefore, holds that it is a morally right action that which produces a good outcome or consequence, thus the aphorism: "the end justifies the means" (Mullender, 2000). Mackie (1990, pp17-23) states that the defining feature of consequentialist moral theories is the weight they give to the consequences as means of evaluating whether a certain action is right or wrong, giving more emphasis on the consequences of an action than any other considerations, and always attempts to answer the following questions: a. What kinds of consequences are considered good consequences' b. Who primarily benefits from moral action' c. How are the consequences judged and by whom' In many environmental concerns, the consequentialistic theory is almost always applied to evaluate certain actions and policies. Holbrook (1997, p 18) argues that there are two environmental ethics principles - the self-realization and the environmental preservation, which are two logically independent principles. The self-realization principle holds that the best action is that which ultimately provides for the individual to survive and continue to live well, while the environment preservation principle posits that it is the best or morally sound action that which consequentially preserves the environment (Ibid.). In the ongoing controversy about which kind of wine bottle stopper gives the most benefits to humankind - the natural cork or the synthetic stoppers - the arguments to both sides have presented equally sensible and reasonable logic. While the advocates for synthetic wine stoppers provide economic as well as health benefits as the good consequences of using synthetic wine stoppers, the advocates for the natural corks have likewise presented environmental preservation and sustainability as the good consequences to their argument. In the case of the Ancient Cork Forest of Portugal, around which an issue of whether it is for the best that the wine industry, which has been deriving its cork from the forest, shift now to the use of metal screw tops, it is noteworthy to explore the various consequentialistic ethical arguments to the issue from the different perspectives, that of the wine producers and that of the consumer groups. Cork vs. synthetic wine stoppers from a consequentialistic perspective I - The wine producers' argument In the consequentialistic ethics, the good consequences of the act serve as the barometer or the very basis in judging whether the act is right or wrong. The shift to the use of synthetic or metal wine stoppers by the wine producers is mainly anchored on providing more benefits to the consumers, as well as doubling the economic benefits of the industry through further efficiency in order to sustain the industry that employs about three million workers worldwide. To clearly put across the producers' arguments, each consequence will be detailed and expounded on, as follows: 1. Synthetic wine stoppers are more hygienic and safe, thus keeping the consumers healthy and away from possible ailments or health problems. In the 1980s, wine drinking started to become popular among a wide population across the globe, which doubled the demand for cork bark. This was something new to the cork stopper producers, thus in keeping with the doubled demand's pace, the quality of cork was compromised as many cork stopper factories could not keep with the standards on quality and cleanliness, resulting to the contamination of cork stoppers with the trichloroanisol (TCA). TCA is a naturally occurring chemical found on wood and vegetation, as well as on improperly prepared cork wine stoppers. And, if TCA contaminates wine, it gives the wine a musty aroma and taste. In a research study, de Serdio (2002, p5) has conclusively stated that TCA is so far the worst enemy of bottled wine, explaining that years of research in the wine industry have yielded only one and the same finding: that 99 per cent of the TCA contamination in bottled wines are coming from the cork stoppers. De Serio further explains that TCA is produced by a myriad of microorganisms, mainly fungi, and is present in various forms naturally. Its undesirable effect on wines is tremendous considering that even a very small amount of 15 nanograms TCA per one liter of wine already completely ruins the whole wine, and, conversely, even just a half tablespoon of pure TCA can already seriously destroy all the wine produced in the United States (US). The effect on humans is alarming, since it is hardly detected ordinarily, which could mean that ordinary wine consumers could be sipping contaminated wine unknowingly, taking into his or her body a dangerous combination of fungi and microbes that is the essential make-up of TCA. While no serious ailments or death from TCA contamination have yet been reported, researches still continue along this path, which may yield either positive or negative results. But the mere fact that there is always a present threat of TCA in bottles of wine with cork stoppers makes it very reasonable and sensible to shift to the much-safer, hygienic and healthier choice of synthetic wine bottle stoppers. 2. Synthetic wine stoppers help the wine industry cope with the growing demands worldwide, which consequently sustains the industry thus enabling it to keep its about three million people employed as well as open up new employment opportunities for more. The wine industry has been a steadily growing industry for centuries now, dating back to centuries ago in the western world. Despite the notion of many people that wine is only for special occasions and for the elite, some twists in marketing as well as in the cultural landscape in the 1980s have caused the growth in the public demand for wine, across cultures and social classes, which started the phenomenal growth in the industry. The last two decades has seen the internationalization and sophistication of the wine industry as it copes with the growing demands, which consequently gave employment to an estimated three million workers worldwide, from the fruit production stage to the processing and marketing stage. The manufacturers' shift to synthetic wine stopper instead of cork is a significant move towards the industry's efficiency to serve its customers worldwide. In these times where competition is fierce in all fronts, it is but necessary for the industry to keep up, so that it will retain its client base, and continue to exist in the market; otherwise it loses its market foothold, and eventually closes, to the detriment of the more than three million workers who rely on it to feed their own families. In this time of economic crisis, it is not easy for these three million individuals to be jobless, considering that each has his or her own family depending on his or her income. It is, therefore, for the greater good for the wine industry to use synthetic wine stoppers to improve its efficiency, so that it continues to survive and keep providing income for the workers. II - The traditional consumers' argument The traditional consumers take on the stand favorable to the continued use of cork wine stoppers, primarily on the basis of the benefits to the environment that continuous cork harvest provides. The environmental preservation principle of the consequential argument on the use of cork as wine stopper has been strong among the environmental advocates as well as the traditional wine consumers who still patronize the so-called old wines. Main argument: the continuous use of cork will help preserve the environment. The ancient Cork Forests of Portugal, or the Montados, are actually the vast cork oak forests found at the Alentejo Region of Southern Portugal, which is covering almost one-thirds of Portugal, an area equivalent to the size of Wales. This is where about seventy percent (70%) of the world's cork products are coming from, including about fifteen billion corks for wine bottles every year (Morrison, 2008). This vast forest has been the habitat of choice to some of Europe's rare species of flora and fauna, which include the beautiful glossy black storks which nest only in cork oaks as well as similarly selective booted eagles. Likewise, thousands of European cranes find their food from the abundant acorns in the forest during winter season, sharing in the richness of the forest with some one hundred different bird species which include nightjars, short-toed eagles, azure-winged magpies, bee-eaters, black-shouldered kits and even the rare hoopoes. Added to these are also bats and other small mammals, along with some rare species of reptiles and amphibians that have made the forest their habitat. Most of these flora and fauna thriving in the said forest are not found in other forests anywhere in the world, primarily because the cork oak forest has its own unique features that benefit these flora and fauna (Ibid.). According to West (2008), the Cork Oak Forests are sheltering a wide array of biodiversity in hot and arid conditions at the southern part of Mediterranean, as well as protecting the soil from drying out. For rare species like the Iberian lynx, the Barbary deer and the Egyptian mongoose, along with rare birds like the Imperial Iberian eagle and the black stork, the Cork Oak Forest is their only haven for survival. West emphasizes, then, that with the wine producers switching to other types of wine stoppers, there is danger that the cork oak forests could be abandoned, leaving the trees and the myriad plants and animals depending on them for their survival could die out. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that the proliferation of synthetic wine stoppers is seriously threatening the cork oak forests, which is among the top biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean and in Europe, as well as they serve as the backbone of the entire economy as the whole communities near and within the forests are engaged in the once-lucrative cork economy. The cork oak tree, by nature, needs to be stripped of its bark regularly, every nine years as scientists say, in order for it to grow normally. Cork oak bark stripping is akin to cutting and trimming the human hair to maintain its health and beauty, as well as to improve its quality. In other words, cork stripping which eventually produces the cork stoppers in wine bottles is a beneficial process for these cork oak trees, which take twenty-five years before they can be harvested. Further, with the continuous use of cork for wine bottle stopper, the existence of the cork oak forest which is home to some of the world's rare flora and fauna, is ensured, as it cannot be denied that, should there be no demand for cork anymore, the people who derive their income from harvesting and processing these corks will eventually need to convert the forest into productive lands, like farming them for cash crops, for instance. It can be concluded, therefore, using this argument, that the consequence of continued use of corks in the wine industry is beneficial for the environment as well as for a great number of people in the community who depend on the industry for income. Furthermore, the consumers of wine are mostly used to the cork stopper, as a part of the age-old traditions wherein the sound of cork from the wine bottle has become part of the whole celebration, and opening a wine bottle with metal or screw top just does not fit the traditional celebratory rituals that go along with wines. Analysis The merits of consequentialistic ethics supporting both sides Every moral action always has an effect on certain people or certain things - the so-called consequences, which are used as basis to judge the action that has produced them. Such consequences are even categorized and evaluated according to the beneficiaries as a matter of really pointing out the rightness or the wrongness of a certain action. Like many of normative moral theories, consequentialism has the characteristic ability to produce practical moral judgments, defining the standpoint from which are determined the goodness of the consequences, primarily emphasizing the agent's responsibility at stake. As can be seen from the arguments, consequentialism does justify both sides of the issue, with both sides able to present consequences that are beneficial, and therefore can lead to conclusion that such an action is morally good. First, the side of the wine producers who have deemed it necessary and have therefore moved to replace cork stoppers with synthetic ones, like metal stoppers. This side of the issue provides two good consequences such action: 1) the general safety and well-being of the wine consumers from undetected cork-tainted wine which may eventually prove to be harmful to the body; and, 2) the preservation of the industry which redounds to the preservation of employment of about three million workers and families worldwide. This argument presents strong and valid reasons especially that the cork-tainting of wines has become prevalent and has generated much interest from the scientific community. It is a laudably noble and good consequence to free the consumers from potential harm. However, the harm or danger that the cork tainting can cause to the human body is yet to be discovered and proven. So far, all that have been found out is that the chemical TCA, which causes a musty smell and taste in wines, generally come from corks, but there have been cases where TCA contamination in wines did not come from corks but from other sources like wine barrels. With such fact surrounding the argument, the consequence presented becomes weak and seemingly irrelevant, especially when considered opposite the argument of the other side, which presents the preservation of rich biodiversity that thrives within the Cork Oak Forests of Portugal. The environmental preservation as a consequence of the act of continuing the cork economy by encouraging the continued use of cork stoppers in wine bottles is beyond debate and questions, given the current scenario in the global context in terms of environmental preservation awareness in the face of increased threats from global warming or climate change. In other words, weighing the consequences presented by the two opposing sides, it can difficult to determine immediately which gives the most benefits. However, a deeper look at the arguments would lead to the conclusion that the preservation of a very important part of ecology, the Cork Oak Forests, gives the more benefits to more people and even to the other equally parts of the whole ecosystem. With the preservation of the Cork Oak Forests, eventually, everyone in the planet will benefit from it. Ethics of virtue as a response to the producers The Theory of Virtue as an approach to ethics emphasizes on the quality or the character of the moral agent, or the actor, rather than the rules or consequences of a certain act in the judgment of a certain action. This approach, obviously, is the exact opposite of the consequentialist theory. From the perspective of a consumer, using the ethics of virtue, the producers' argument that their shift to synthetic wine bottle stoppers is for the good of the consumers and the people who depend on the industry as a whole, is practically unacceptable primarily because the producers are clearly in the business, and the people's welfare is the last thing for them to consider in most business decisions, much less on the use of wine stoppers. Most of the wine producers are from the old wine-producing families and clans, mostly from Spain, Italy and France. However, modern-day wine industry already has budding entrepreneurs and bigtime corporations engaged in the business. In the context of globalized economy, these producers are at fierce competition against one another, thus their search for the most efficient and less costly to cope with the global demands. It is, therefore, all a matter of profit and income, as well as business survival and not really for the good of the consumers and the people as a whole. Conclusion Consequentialism as an ethical theory has its own merits, especially on issues that need to be analyzed deeply and in details, as the consequential approach allows for the deeper analysis of the intentions through the consequences as projected by the actors. As exemplified by the arguments on the issue at hand, consequentialist approach digs deeper and deeper into the heart of the matter, and enables people to already look ahead and weigh things from the consequences or results already. The benefit of this approach is that it is somehow forward-looking, if used in planning for future endeavors. However, it becomes an excuse to justify certain acts when used already after certain acts have been committed. Embodied in the aphorism "the end justifies the means", consequentialism may be interpreted by some as the license to commit crime for a just cause, or perhaps an excuse to begin something which is yet to be determined whether morally right or wrong; and when a morally right end or goal is achieved, then it must be accepted also that the means to its achievement are morally right also. Although the argument can be endless as the interpretation of the approach can easily be twisted and taken out of context, what can be concluded here is that, from a moral standpoint, the morality of an act can only be determined at the point in time when it is committed. As people judge such action or consequence of such action, they only have the information about the actor's intent at that point, which would be the only basis to determine the morality of the action. On the other hand, a more accurate judgment of an action would be after the act is committed, and sufficient information, based on the consequences, are already available as basis for sound moral judgment. Works Cited Holbrook, D., 1997, "The Consequentialistic Side of Environmental Ethics," Environmental Values 6. The White Horse Press. Mackie, J.L., 1990. "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong. London: Penguin. Morrison, P., 2008, "Save this amazing forest, uncork a bottle of wine'", Mail Online, 29 November 2008, available at http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1090462/Save-amazing-forest---uncork-bottle-wine.html, accessed on 12 November 2009. Mullender, R., 2000, "Theorizing the Third Way: Qualified Consequentialism, the Proportionality Principle and the New Social Democracy. Journal of Law and Society.27; 4: 493-516. West, L., 2008, "Which Wine Stopper is Best for the Environment: Cork, Glass, or'Plastic' Hint: One wine stopper is sustainable and helps the'economy", available at http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/wine_stopper.htm, accessed 12 Nov 2009. Read More