Reply With QuoteThe cynic in me imagines that our government will work the figures so that peat is included as part of the ''carbon offset'', whilst we open fracking and maybe a coal mine here and there.
Just seen on news, peat for garden compost will be banned from 2024.
Report claims it's a large store of carbon and use leads to increase in global warming. It's not being burnt so why is this an issue? Will be a store of carbon in my garden, not a bog.
Don't disagree there's a massive local environmental impact, just questioning the accuracy of the report (BBC).
The cynic in me imagines that our government will work the figures so that peat is included as part of the ''carbon offset'', whilst we open fracking and maybe a coal mine here and there.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Reopening coal mines requires considerable upfront investment and would take many months even for the easiest ones. Indeed this was one of the arguments against closing them in the first place.
I assume most of the carbon impact from peat digging is from loss of habitat and loss of future carbon sequestering. I can't see how it actually releases carbon - I suppose a few people in the locality burn it but it can't be a huge problem.
Coal mines were just an example, banning peat products is an easy "carbon win"
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I think peat only stores carbon when it’s part of an airless bog, Once dug up and used it comes into contact with air, the trapped carbon combines with oxygen in the decomposition process, and is released as carbon dioxide.Originally Posted by Kingstepper
https://www.newscientist.com/article...mounts-of-co2/
Ah, thanks for this. I assumed it was an almost inert substrate just giving structure to soil/compost.
That's exactly what I heard on the radio this morning.
TBH I'd never given it a thought previously. Think how much peat has already been extracted.
Cheers,
Neil.
Peat extraction also involves the destruction of uncommon and important ecosystems. Should have been banned decades ago.
Gardening needs to move to more sustainable models - e.g. only growing plant varieties that suit local soil types.
Will this affect the whisky industry in the long term?
Yes, and no? Interesting read here.
https://whiskymag.com/story/the-problem-with-peat
Re opening coal mines, discussed recently at a funeral of an ex miner colleague, who’s gonna work in them, all my authorisations etc are out of date and most ex miners are getting near retirement, who’s going to train a new workforce? Special dispensation for workers from the EU?, pie in the sky I reckon.
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