I understand that peat milling for briquette making in Ireland is no longer taking place, and that the existing stocks will be used up by 2024, @fidgetbones@nick615. The last peat-burning power station here closed down last December.
I cannot do anything personally to affect the global population increase. (We had 2 children and now have 4 grandchildren, which is slightly under the replacement rate for the UK population.) We all do what we can to mitigate environmental damage - some personal inconvenience (our plants not doing as well as we remember they did in the past, when peat was freely available) is bound to result.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Here in the Rebel County, Liriodendron, I must admit I haven't seen any briquettes for some time, but the local paper still has the loose stuff for sale. Fabulous smell on a winter's night.
"The zealots say it is bad for the ecology of peat bogs. "
It's not to do with zealotry - it's about digging out precious and fragile landscapes. We need to hold the carbon where it is and preserve the many species that live only in these areas. With such great species collapse we need to take every step to help.
"the amount harvested in power station or open peat brick fires is more harmful in my opinion"
"population is a far greater worry"
We've gone far past that either/or situation. We need all and everything. They are stopping commercial peat use. Population always seems to be a discussion about other people in other places - kicking the can.
Aggression isn't needed in discussion but it is appropriate to see these issues as pressing - carbon, species loss, land use.
My feeling is that it's best to avoid buying more peat and fuelling the demand for more to be extracted, but it would be wasteful not to use what you already have (you can't put it back).
The variable quality of peat-free composts needs to be addressed, but for me buying more peat isn't the answer (I don't know what is, other than to keep trying with the peat-free stuff and hope that it will at least become more consistent within each specific product line so that when I find one I like, it'll be near enough the same next time I buy it).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I feel I should say to the OP @marshaswensonn1x-WgPY that I'm not aiming the following comments at you in any way. The peat you have you should use responsibly. It's doing no more harm to the wider environment on your garden than it is in the bag. I'm very pleased that you are thinking about it, and trying not to buy more is all any of us could do in this regard.
But following the digression, the drying out of peat bogs is the main issue, for very many reasons, climate change being one, climate change mitigation being another really significant one. Using something so precious when you have no alternate source of heat for your home seems less profligate than using it because you get nicer pansies.
It's good that the Irish Government is now acting to protect the peat that's left. It would be good if the UK Government would take more serious action on the burning of other fossil fuels. If all Governments internationally meet all pledges and promises made so far, we may limit global warming to 2.5C. That's without population reduction or other more drastic measures. But it does rely on meeting the promises made. And we will have to find ways to cope with the impacts of those 2.5C - which will be very serious for many parts of the world. Which brings us back to the need for climate change mitigation and the peat bogs.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Oh @raisingirl you are always a beacon of reason, fact and good sense, but this might be the absolute clincher:
"Using something so precious when you have no alternate source of heat for your home seems less profligate than using it because you get nicer pansies."
Bravo!
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
I can understand that people feel pressured or bullied, but there are very real and pressing practical issues that need resolving fast. The stakes are very high and there are immediate approaches that will help.
I wouldn't say the proponents are 'zealots'. Perhaps more "a community of enthusiastic response".
Posts
I cannot do anything personally to affect the global population increase. (We had 2 children and now have 4 grandchildren, which is slightly under the replacement rate for the UK population.) We all do what we can to mitigate environmental damage - some personal inconvenience (our plants not doing as well as we remember they did in the past, when peat was freely available) is bound to result.
We've gone far past that either/or situation. We need all and everything. They are stopping commercial peat use. Population always seems to be a discussion about other people in other places - kicking the can.
Aggression isn't needed in discussion but it is appropriate to see these issues as pressing - carbon, species loss, land use.
But following the digression, the drying out of peat bogs is the main issue, for very many reasons, climate change being one, climate change mitigation being another really significant one. Using something so precious when you have no alternate source of heat for your home seems less profligate than using it because you get nicer pansies.
It's good that the Irish Government is now acting to protect the peat that's left. It would be good if the UK Government would take more serious action on the burning of other fossil fuels. If all Governments internationally meet all pledges and promises made so far, we may limit global warming to 2.5C. That's without population reduction or other more drastic measures. But it does rely on meeting the promises made. And we will have to find ways to cope with the impacts of those 2.5C - which will be very serious for many parts of the world. Which brings us back to the need for climate change mitigation and the peat bogs.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
"Using something so precious when you have no alternate source of heat for your home seems less profligate than using it because you get nicer pansies."
Bravo!