"Bottled" wilderness protection
By Aleksandr Savaryn, specially for the BP – 21st century website, February 03, 2010
Have the Belarusian manufacturers ever asked themselves the question: what is unethical or immoral? Does the name of their production contain duality or even absurdity?
We have got a unique alcoholic production brand – beer “Golden Bison.” Its uniqueness derives not from its quality but rather from the product styling which in the view of its developers should enhance competitiveness of this brand of beer…
Is bison “golden”? Do the manufacturers hint at the high pricing of culled bison hunt which is affordable only for the “fat cats?” It is bravely, too bravely, even for alcohol products…
The secret lies in the “patriotic” caption – “to the 600th anniversary of the establishing the reservation status in the Bialowieza Forest…” I was really “knocked out” for a while when I saw this “text”. I was “awakened” by the company of young people who completely glutted themselves with this beverage for, of course, “patriotic education somewhere in the meadow or elsewhere in the yard… I could not stand off and joined the debate:
- Guys, why do you buy this beer?
- That’s just cool to bumper for wilderness protection!
- But is the Pushcha a reserve?
- Pal, you are not local, perhaps. Don’t you see the words “reservation status” written here?
- But have you ever visited this “reserve?”
-Sure thing! We got off with the girls… Have to repeat in summer…
Well, let’s leave this private opinion to this reckless group of youth who can equally drink “for” wilderness protection or “for” the Tunguska meteorite...
Thus, are there any elements of patriotism or environmental education in this brand? Let’s argue. I suppose that one should talk about wilderness protection with SOBER head. Hence reading on “wilderness protection” on the bottle brings nothing but the wish to “repeat”… And generally is it necessary to urge Belarusians to “drink” more hiding behind the sacred word “WILDERNESS PROTECTION?” Don’t the Belarusians belong to the Top-10 of the most drinking nations of Europe? Is it not enough? Then we will think about wilderness protection just being “pye-eyed”…
I believe that the elements of the environmental education could be present on the bottle label indicating for instance the ratio between the core and the recreational zones… Or, for example, a lively photo of the saw-mill against the background of the departing log trucks could be on the bottle… But it is clear that such revelations will not be put to the bottle… But why? Because the manufacturers do need to SELL THEIR ALCOHOL OUT, OR IN OTHER WORDS TO ALCOHOLISE AND BESOT, BUT NOT TO EDUCATE!
I can imagine that in a dozen of years when the Pushcha degrades into an unremarkable suburban forest our descendants will see a dusty bottle with the caption “to the establishing of the reservation status…” By then the bison will become not “golden” but “brilliant”… Can you imagine what they would tell us? Can it be true that their phrase would sound “for wilderness protection!?”
I do reckon that the “bottled” wilderness protection is not just immoral but is far more than one ever wanted to know. It is depravity, besotting and alcoholising of the Belarusian nation…
Aliaksandr Savaryn,
resident of the city of Gomel
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