GW Special last night

[piskieinboots]

Did anyone watch our Toby on the discussion over peat? If I didn't understand about the seriousness of this issue before - I sure do now!

Toby presented it really well (in my opinion) and the clip with him and Peter Seabrooke was quite entertaining!

[NOG]

I love the way the green said that it would take the Marsh 1000 years to recover. Just like they said that after the 89 hurricane Kent would never recover.
Its odd how I rotovate my allotment in the winter and by spring its covered in green

[smallblueplanet]

...Just like they said that after the 89 hurricane Kent would never recover...

they said - who said what? I've never seen anyone say what you suggest. If you disagree with the point being made say why you disagree, don't just make spurious references that mean nothing.

[NOG]

The main people saying it in 89 were the National Trust.

Ok I totally disagree with the statement that it will take a peat bog 1000 years to recover once the peat has been harvrested. As also disagree with the scare mongrering of the professors on the show.

There was not mention of the fact that Coir costs about £1.50 for a 10lt block.

[Geo]

We must not use peat for gardening purposes!!!!

So is it ok to burn it in power stations?

>>>Click<<<

Mayo County Council's grant of permission for a 100MW peat and mixed fuel power plant has been questioned by An Bord Pleanala. They have asked the developers to justify the proposed use of 400,000 tons of peat annually given that the ‘proposal might be contrary to national policy to reduce power generation from peat as a fuel source'.

In a request for further information the developers have been asked to ‘consider and advise whether the proposed development can be operated using biomass and coal as fuel sources only.'

Irish power stations have been burning peat for years.

Geo..

[TonyF]

I was working with environmental groups in London back in the late 80s/early 90s when this was first being discussed and people are STILL arguing over it.

NOG, where is your evidence for the recovery rate of robbed out peat bogs please?

[piskieinboots]

I am a simple soul - so the bit that made me put my gin down and listen was the computer graphs following two samples being analysed - one with water squeezed out, one with water left in - the carbon rate was scary.

[Alison]

Don't know the exact details of recovery rates but am perfectly sure that it takes a very long time for peat bogs to replenish. I also believe that we all have a responsibility to live as sustainably as we are able and for this reason made the decision to minimise my peat use several years ago. To be honest, I don't think it's very sustainable to be using large quantities of commercial compost of any description as the shipping of large heavy bags around the country isn't exactly ideal and coir isn't exactly a locally produced product either! I know not everybody will agree but one thing is certain, the more information we all have, the easier it is for anybody to make informed choices.

[zazen999]

I'm mixing my home made compost with peat free compost and sieving it for my seedlings this year. It's working a treat so far.

When I just used the peat free, it was a bu66er to water as it didn't stay moist but it gave me fab onions seedlings, some of the strongest I've ever had.

[piskieinboots]

the disagreements between regeneration times is mind boggling, how can it be so difficult to prove/not prove this?

[selfraising]

Having watched the programme last night, I have to plead guilty to using MPC containing peat......up until now. Its a bit late for me this year to change as I have already bought my compost in but I have decided that next year I will only by compost containing low peat for my sowing and peat free for everything else. I decided this based on the experiments that they showed on the programme whereby from seedling stage onwards the plants seemed to do better in peat free compost. I know I will still be using some peat but I figure at least I'm making an effort to reduce the amount I'm using. By the way, what do we use for plants that need ericaceous type compost?

[Alison]

By the way, what do we use for plants that need ericaceous type compost?

That's a tricky one, I'm fortunate that I have acidic soil so tend to grow mostly in the beds so no need for compost but obviously this doesn't work in all areas.

[dogsbody]

Just like they said that after the 89 hurricane Kent would never recover.

Wasn't it 1987 - Michael Fish and all?????

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't seen it yet, but Peter Seabrook is a dinosaur.

[piskieinboots]

I haven't seen it yet, but Peter Seabrook is a dinosaur.

I fear it will have you throwing darts at the screen at that point TS