I’m going to tear my hair out if I hear any more about environmental issues.We we’re protesting in the 60 s about all this and nobody took a blind bit of notice. It makes no difference now what we do …….it’s far too late !
Absolutely. I hope no one on here is planning a cruise or an aeroplane trip, or can they both be justified, it’s just gardeners using peat in a bag of compost that’s going to bugger the planet completely.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't use peat free compost. Ireland burns millions of tons of peat every year in their power stations, so I'm not going to feel guilty about the few kilos I use per year
That doesn't make it OK! Digging up peat for horticultural reasons is just as bad as digging it up for power stations.
I know, but peat free compost is crap
Maybe so but it's a whole lot better than the climate change disaster that is about to overtake us all.
Looking at the bigger picture, ornamental horticulture is way down the list of important things. Make do with alternatives. You give the impression of having a large garden; use your own compost and garden soil. Accept there will be some failures; it will help save the planet.
I have horse poo delivered from a neighbour and wood chip delivered by tree surgeons.( all of which are technically "waste products " . I reckon I make about 50 tons of compost a year. Is that enough?
That's great! So why do you need to buy peat?
To get a sterile growing medium
I really think we (and I say we because it applies to most of us) need to change our mindset. Accept that there will be failures with a less perfect product by going peat free. It's a whole lot better than mass extinction. Giving up peat use may be seen as only a small thing but if everyone did their bit, gave up a few things that we regard as necessary but are really luxuries, (and I would include excessive travel and car usage in that too) we just might be able to reverse things. But it needs everyone to do their bit.....everyone.
When manufacturers of peat free compost make a product which is as good as, and at a comparable price as peat based, I'll buy it. I'm not buying overpriced rubbish .
I’m going to tear my hair out if I hear any more about environmental issues.We we’re protesting in the 60 s about all this and nobody took a blind bit of notice. It makes no difference now what we do …….it’s far too late !
Sigh.....I hope not. I was around in the 60s and I don't remember anyone protesting about peat extraction then.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
I’m going to tear my hair out if I hear any more about environmental issues.We we’re protesting in the 60 s about all this and nobody took a blind bit of notice. It makes no difference now what we do …….it’s far too late !
Sigh.....I hope not. I was around in the 60s and I don't remember anyone protesting about peat extraction then.
Back then they were protesting about the depletion of the Surrey Loam beds, which is why everyone moved away from John Innes and started using peat.
Hostafan1: So it seems to me you are saying you'll carry on doing as you like as far as peat buying goes, without any regard to the environment. I'm sure you're a good gardener but you don't want to give up peat. For me protecting the environment is more important.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
And sometimes getting alarmed about something and changing habits really does have an effect... it's taken decades for raptors to recover from the effects of DDT, but they have indeed recovered to a large extent since its use was banned. And what about that hole in the ozone layer? Governments took swift, decisive action and we stopped using a lot of aerosol propellents - so the hole has almost completely "healed".
It's easy to be defeatist but everyone can make a difference if they want to.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Hostafan1: So it seems to me you are saying you'll carry on doing as you like as far as peat buying goes, without any regard to the environment. I'm sure you're a good gardener but you don't want to give up peat. For me protecting the environment is more important.
A fact I'm sure your aware of - 8000 tonnes of plastic compost bags goes to landfill - including the peat free bags. I wonder for how many that's a consideration when buying it?
Other things I think of when the peat debate comes up..
In the UK the cultivation of annuals (in particular) makes little environmental sense yet the horticultral industry grows and sells 10's of thousand of plants every year. Why?
Tobacco. It's estimated over half a million trees are cut down every year by the tobacco industry - the resources & land use to grow tobacco and make tobacco products is huge - including pesticides. Not to mention the mountain of waste it creates. Tobacco, as far as I know has no known advantagous use. (Apart from making money). If we're in a climate emergency why does it or is it allowed continue?
Such a shame this conversation has resorted to whataboutery and irony. Avoiding peat is an easy change we can all make, it's up to us to make that choice. Of course when it comes to solving the climate emergency it requires international collaboration and major institutional changes. But that doesn't mean our daily actions don't help improve the situation. It's really that simple. You can keep trying to rationalise your own inaction all you like. But you are part of the problem by refusing to acknowledge that we can all help steer businesses to a more responsible future. By not buying their environmentally damaging products and putting pressure for change.
Posts
I hope no one on here is planning a cruise or an aeroplane trip, or can they both be justified, it’s just gardeners using peat in a bag of compost that’s going to bugger the planet completely.
I'm not buying overpriced rubbish .
It's easy to be defeatist but everyone can make a difference if they want to.
Other things I think of when the peat debate comes up..
In the UK the cultivation of annuals (in particular) makes little environmental sense yet the horticultral industry grows and sells 10's of thousand of plants every year. Why?
Tobacco. It's estimated over half a million trees are cut down every year by the tobacco industry - the resources & land use to grow tobacco and make tobacco products is huge - including pesticides. Not to mention the mountain of waste it creates. Tobacco, as far as I know has no known advantagous use. (Apart from making money). If we're in a climate emergency why does it or is it allowed continue?