COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF our bogs for forestry and windfarm development has led to criticism from environmental campaigners. They say the State hasn’t done enough to protect bogs – a key weapon in battling the dual climate and biodiversity crisis.

For Noteworthy’s latest in-depth series, WASTED WETLANDS, Steven Fox revealed how commercial activity is releasing carbon stored in bogs and endangering bird habitats and water quality.

This comes as Ireland has just been referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice over the State’s failure to halt industrial peat extraction.

The investigation was part of a cross-border project on European wetlands, with journalists in German and Italy. It was supported by Journalismfund Europe’s Earth Investigations Programme.

In a bonus episode of The Explainer podcast, brought to you by Noteworthy, Fox goes through his findings with presenter Susan Daly. They’re joined by reporter Swantje Furtak who shares insights into this wetland exploitation in Germany.

https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/by-noteworthy-why-are-our-peatlands-still-being-exploited?si=196100c65c0f4e71b29493511f60c621&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

This episode was put together by Susan Daly, Maria Delaney and producer Laura Byrne. 

RELATED READS

• Some of Ireland’s cleanest rivers and streams at risk from Coillte forestry
• Wasted Wetlands: Pumping of bogs by Bord na Móna ‘hampering rehabilitation’