PRESS RELEASE
Home Composting – Taking Action for Peatlands, Climate and Biodiversity?
4th February 2022
Terms including climate, peatlands, composting and biodiversity are now everyday. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council are seeking your help to better understand public perceptions towards the use of peat as a growing media. We are asking what are the impacts you consider, if any, peat extraction has on peatlands, climate and biodiversity and the connection, if any, between composting, peatlands, climate and biodiversity. Its easy to get involved follow the link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KS5KNGW. The survey should take you no more than 4 minutes and following the analysis of the survey results, participants will be invited to an online talk exploring what the Irish Peatland Conservation Council have learnt.
Peatlands are wetlands that cover 20% of the island of Ireland and their formation over 10,000 years was guided by Ireland’s climate. Peatland biodiversity, much of which is unique to this habitat, has adapted to survive in these rich Sphagnum moss, open, wet and acidic environments. While peatlands provide many ecosystem services, the benefits we all obtain from nature, we have focused for many years on their provisioning services. These provisioning services include the mining and extraction of peat for the horticulture industry, as a domestic fuel and to generate electricity. In 2019 Ireland declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and the President of Ireland has now signed into law the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment Act) 2021 setting Ireland on a path to be a net zero economy by 2050. To prevent further biodiversity loss and achieve a net zero economy by 2050 we all must work together, as we have a collective responsibility.
Home composting is nature’s method of recycling, taking a waste and creating a growing media for our gardens. Once a traditional practice in homes nationwide the introduction of waste collection services and the increased sale of growing media in retail outlets resulted in fewer gardeners taking advantage of nutrient recycling through composting. For Ireland to stabilise our climate and halt biodiversity loss we must take action. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council are asking for your perception on whether by choosing to home compost will you be taking action for peatlands, climate and biodiversity? Have your say today https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KS5KNGW.
Editors Notes:
This survey is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland through the Irish Environmental Network Communications Advocacy Small Grants Fund 2022.
