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Why are peat bogs removed?
Peat bog destruction For many years peat was removed from bogs for gardeners to add to their soil or in some countries, to burn as fuel. This dramatically reduced biodiversity. Because peat takes such a long time to form, it is a non-renewable energy resource like fossil fuels.
How much bog is left in Ireland?
As a result of the Government’s failure to protect raised bogs from turf cutting and drainage, the area of active raised bog in the country is less than 4,000ha today.
Can you still burn peat in Ireland?
The story of peat in Ireland Peat is still used to generate electricity and as a fuel for home fires to this day, however, sustainable energy policy and bogland conservation programmes indicate phasing out harvesting peat as a primary source of energy post 2030.
What country has the most bogs?
The world’s largest wetland is a series of bogs in the Siberia region of Russia. The Western Siberian Lowlands cover more than a million square kilometers (386,102 square miles).
Why should peat not be burned?
Peat is the most damaging fuel in terms of global warming; even worse than coal. It has a lower calorific value than coal (generating less energy per tonne when it is burned) and yet it produces higher CO2 emissions per unit, so it is the least climate-efficient way to produce electricity or heat in Ireland bar none.
Why is peat so bad?
Peatlands store a third of the world’s soil carbon, and their harvesting and use releases carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas driving climate change. The biggest environmental risk from peatlands is if they catch fire, which happened spectacularly in 2015 in Indonesia on land cleared for plantations.
Why does Ireland have so many bogs?
Layers and layers of decomposed plants build up and, combined with acidic water, resulted in bogland. Raised bogs however formed as a result of the Ice Age, which ended in Ireland around 7000 BC. As glaciers made their way over the land they left uneven terrain which water collected in, forming thousands of tiny lakes.
How many years does it take for a bog to form?
They form in areas where the average annual rainfall is greater than 1,200mm and where rain falls on at least 235 days each year. Blanket Bogs began to form about 4,000 – 7,000 years ago; they are much younger than raised bogs.
How much peat is left in Ireland?
Between 13.8 and 17% of Irish land area is peatland. Only ~28% of blanket bogs in the Republic of Ireland remain in a relatively intact condition (38) due to peat extraction, drainage and forest plantation.
Are there bogs in the USA?
Bogs in the United States are mostly found in the glaciated northeast and Great Lakes regions (northern bogs) but also in the southeast (pocosins). Their acreage declined historically as they were drained to be used as cropland and mined for their peat, which was used as a fuel and a soil conditioner.
What is the biggest bog in the world?
The world’s largest wetland is the peat bogs of the Western Siberian Lowlands in Russia, which cover more than a million square kilometres. Large peat bogs also occur in North America, particularly the Hudson Bay Lowland and the Mackenzie River Basin.
Is it bad to burn peat?