June 22, 2008

President’s Report

Hi All,

I just got back from the 13th Annual Peatland Congress in Ireland. My head is swimming with all that I learned.

For starters, the Irish government is taking steps to protect its peatlands. Considering that it set up Bordna Mona 50 years ago to help the poverty stricken farmers in the area, it is now looking very strongly at ways of protecting their peatlands. Bordna  Mona is rewetting cutaway bog after they have completed the harvesting. There are strict limits on how deep the peat can be removed and what is done with the top layer.

This all from a country where its greatest resource is peatlands and where many of the people in the country depend on peat or turf to heat their homes and provide some income for their families.

The Irish Government has purchased land from the landowners to set up 6 national sites to protect areas of importance.  This is a challenge in a country that still remembers when they had no freedom and their children had to immigrate to prevent themselves from starving.

I am going to have to review all my notes and the proceedings--at least 700 pages worth and let you know some of what I learned.

For example, peatlands (only 3% of the earth's surface) holds over two times the carbon that forests do!

I was amazed at how much peat harvesting that goes on in Germany, Finland, etc.

Germany again, when a cutover bog area is completed, it must be rewetted for rehabilitation/restoration/renaturing. (There is still debate which word is the most appropriate.)

Highrises, industrial sites, gof courses DO NOT SPRING UP ON CUTAWAY BOG, unlike here.

When Shell Oil Limited built its refinery in Mayo, they had to remove all the peat right down to the mineral base and place it elsewhere--no selling of the peat or building on top of it. It was placed on one of Bordna Mona's cutaway sites to continue as peat through rewetting.

There are even things going on in Quebec to rehabilitate peat bogs.

International scientists are under the delusion that Canada is at the forefront of protecting its peatlands. They were stunned when I told them that I had never seen a rewetted peat bog in British Columbia.

We are the third largest country in having such a high percentage of peatland within our borders.  It is not safe. Industrialists are looking at ways to use it for energy.

This while Ireland is closing down its peat fired electrical generators.

Folks we have to demand the same protection for our peatlands as we do for our forests and more! They are the carbon sinks of the world.

Eliza Olson, President