Not exactly new news, but just a reminder:

I know screw-top (or the stuff that comes in a box) wine is often cheaper than the cork variety, but please keep a few things in mind when making your purchasing decision:

1) cork is made from the bark of a tree and is sustainable. Cork trees can be used again and again this way.

2) Cork tree farmers are losing a lot of money due to the 20% increase in wine stoppers made of plastic and metal.

3) cork trees are better for wildlife than factories producing metal and plastic corks.

From About.com:

"Cork: An Sustainable Resource with Economic Benefits
But the increasing popularity around the world of screw caps and plastic stoppers has cork producers and environmentalists alike worried. In a recent report, “Cork Screwed,” the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) predicts that, at the current rate of adoption by wine producers, screw caps and other synthetic non-cork wine stoppers will dominate the market by 2015, calling into question the future of Mediterranean cork forests. In order to stem the tide, the organization is supporting efforts by Portuguese cork producers to certify their practices as sustainable by the non-profit Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which promotes sustainable, economically-viable forestry practices around the world.

“Cork oak forests rank among the top biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean and in Europe. At the same time, they are the backbone of an entire economy,” says Nora Berrahmouni, coordinator of WWF’s Cork Oak Landscapes program. “FSC certification will reinforce the already environmentally friendly characteristics of the cork economy, leading to new opportunities in cork markets,” she adds.

If You Have a Choice, Choose Cork Wine Stoppers
Public opinion will undoubtedly be what calls the day, and producers of plastic stoppers and metal screw caps are working hard to overcome the stigma associated with using their products, as most consumers still associate non-cork stoppers with cheap wine. For now, the world’s premiere winemakers in Europe are still bullish on the cork reserves in their own backyards. And wine enthusiasts everywhere can do their part to help the environment by choosing wines with natural cork stoppers."