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It's a bit warm/ wet/ cold outside

Started by The Enigmatic Dr X, 24 July, 2019, 09:35:09 AM

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The Legendary Shark


Subscriptions To Satellite Alerts Linked To Decreased Deforestation In Africa.


"Deforestation dropped by 18 percent in two
years in African countries where organizations
subscribed to receive warnings from a new
service using satellites to detect decreases in
forest cover in the tropics."


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JayzusB.Christ

I noticed today at the local filling station that all the peat briquettes were imported, presumably because the biggest Irish peat company is now retraining its bog cutters to work in bog rehabilitation.

I'm feckin delighted to be honest, it breaks my heart to see the power station in our Midlands burning up some of our most beautiful landscapes at an incredible rate.  Who knows how many preserved Sláines and Niamhs, and their spears and cauldrons, have already gone up in smoke for a few minutes of electricity?

(Not that I'm happy about foreign countries still doing it, mind you, but at least the bogs I know are relatively safe for now.)
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Funt Solo

Aye, that there peat bog is a great carbon store.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Andrew_J

Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 08 January, 2021, 07:16:40 PM
I noticed today at the local filling station that all the peat briquettes were imported, presumably because the biggest Irish peat company is now retraining its bog cutters to work in bog rehabilitation.

I'm feckin delighted to be honest, it breaks my heart to see the power station in our Midlands burning up some of our most beautiful landscapes at an incredible rate.  Who knows how many preserved Sláines and Niamhs, and their spears and cauldrons, have already gone up in smoke for a few minutes of electricity?

(Not that I'm happy about foreign countries still doing it, mind you, but at least the bogs I know are relatively safe for now.)

Hopefully it won't be long before peat disappears altogether from the petrol stations, if the Irish government is serious about banning smoky fuels this year.

shaolin_monkey

That is great news in one way, bad in another. It's great peat is being conserved, because it is a great carbon store as Funt mentions. And we need carbon stores like never before!!

But it's being imported?! That's really bad - first of all it means a carbon store somewhere else is being eliminated, AND a shitload of fossil fuels are being burnt to get it into Ireland.

So in terms of reducing overall CO2, a ban on using Irish peat, yet still allowing other peat, is a massively false economy!!

If the Irish government is as serious as Andrew suggests the smoky fuels, perhaps even those imports will soon be a thing of the past?


JayzusB.Christ

#710
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 09 January, 2021, 10:32:26 AM
That is great news in one way, bad in another. It's great peat is being conserved, because it is a great carbon store as Funt mentions. And we need carbon stores like never before!!

But it's being imported?! That's really bad - first of all it means a carbon store somewhere else is being eliminated, AND a shitload of fossil fuels are being burnt to get it into Ireland.

So in terms of reducing overall CO2, a ban on using Irish peat, yet still allowing other peat, is a massively false economy!!

If the Irish government is as serious as Andrew suggests the smoky fuels, perhaps even those imports will soon be a thing of the past?

Aye, fair point.  I suppose I was thinking less about the CO2 emissions here and more about preserving precious boglands.  And it is a selfish view, I realise - I'm thinking about the boglands I know.  I went for a walk through a local bog just after Christmas (on wooden walkways, to prevent you from becoming a leathery mummy in a 30th century museum), and it's a strange and beautiful place - the idea of machines ripping it all up for industrial fuel is just horrible.

I've seen Irish bogs exhausted of all their peat (or turf, as it's invariably called here) and it's heartbreaking to think it would take tens of thousands of years to replenish what's been lost.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

shaolin_monkey

Yeah, preserving beautiful countryside is definitely a plus. Ireland isn't called the Emerald Isle for nothing!

The U.K. has the same kind of double-standards. It crows about how it has cut emissions around the Union, but that is largely because it has exported its industry - the emissions are happening elsewhere while we still enjoy fast fashion, the latest technology, etc etc. Again, false economy re CO2, the only solution to which is that the U.K. learns to consume less, and learn patience again rather than this NOW NOW NOW economy we've landed ourselves in.

shaolin_monkey

"A bee-killing pesticide so poisonous that it is banned by the EU may be used on sugar beet in England, the government has announced."

*slow handclap*

Thank you Tory morons - as well as interrupting imports of fresh produce into the U.K., you're now going to ensure a crash in pollinators so we can't even grow our own!

How many own goals is that now? A few hundred thousand?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bees-kill-pesticide-insect-sugar-neonic-b1784693.html?fbclid=IwAR0dRHFbbzAhhQIl_GG6PAEFuRZSE8KYV6zy166y5FnsxWdVzC66mvsyhoM

IndigoPrime

But it's fine, because they're only specific and limited way! Or something.

The Legendary Shark


According to the Farmer's Weekly (16 October 2013):

"Notably, he (environment secretary George Eustice) has also backed Friends of the Earth's campaign to ban neonicotinoid pesticides linked to a decline in bees, despite DEFRA's opposition to an outright ban."

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shaolin_monkey

Looks like he's changed his mind. Or was lying in the first place.

Tjm86

Tory minister .... lying ..... 


This is my shocked face ...   :|

The Legendary Shark


Eustice is also a director of Trevaskis Farm, but the site won't load on my 'phone so I can't check whether he grows sugar beet or not. Given info gathered from peripheral sites I'd guess not - but you never know.

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Definitely Not Mister Pops

Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 09 January, 2021, 04:46:30 PM
"A bee-killing pesticide so poisonous that it is banned by the EU may be used on sugar beet in England, the government has announced."

Ye would like to think farmers would have the good sense to see that the cheapest pesticide isn't always the best.
You may quote me on that.

sheridan

Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 09 January, 2021, 09:22:53 PM

Eustice is also a director of Trevaskis Farm, but the site won't load on my 'phone so I can't check whether he grows sugar beet or not. Given info gathered from peripheral sites I'd guess not - but you never know.

When you said 'director' I thought it was one of those mainly honorary appointments to add some credence to a business.  But no, Eustice appears right on the home page as 'owner'.

From the webpage it looks like a pick-your-own 'visitor farm' rather than an industrialised agricultural farm (also has a restaurant and middle-class-market attached).

Still - owner of a farm.  Environment Secretary.  No conflict of interest there then?

Quote from: thatWebsiteTrevaskis Farm

PICK YOUR OWN
Set amidst 28 acres of beautiful countryside, Pick Your Own is a wonderful family day out. Choose from an abundance of fruit and vegetables to pick, and with information signs dotted around the farm park, you can learn while you wander. Best of all, farm entrance is free and you only pay for what you pick!

RESTAURANT
Having spent the last 30 years dedicated to producing only the freshest and heartiest meals from our farm produce, the Farmhouse Kitchen Restaurant has earned an unrivaled reputation and is a must for all food lovers! Renowned for generous portions, all our meals are produced from highest quality ingredients; meats from our own butchers, vegetables and fruit from the farm or trusted local suppliers.

TREVASKIS MARKET
From your everyday store cupboard essentials to the more artisan product or foodie delight, we aim to provide it all under one roof. We love good food as much as the next person so come in and chat with us about putting together a great cheese board, an idea for a seasonal salad or to share one of your favourite recipes.

In over 30 years of trading we have always operated with the same ethos, prioritising homegrown and home-reared produce. Featuring not only the finest fresh fruit and vegetables, butchery, fishmongers, deli, dairy and bakery but everything you need for your weekly shop at competitive prices.

Renowned for selling our award-winning, home-reared British Lop pork and finest local South Devon breed beef, our butchery also features a first class selection of homemade sausages, burgers and hogs pudding, homecured bacon and gammon plus local free-range chicken and West Country lamb. Speciality meats such as venison, pheasant, wild boar and Christmas meats are on sale seasonally.

Our experienced team are always on hand to help you select the right cut for your meal.

VISIT US
The complete countryside experience... whether it's a family day out on the farm, romantic meal, a light lunch after a wander around the orchards or just a trip to our award winning farm shop. Enjoy the delights of Cornish food, drink, countryside and produce all in one place!

Park map
"Welcome to our website! I hope it encapsulates the rich diversity of activity at Trevaskis and shows how very proud we are of our ethos and our fantastic team. I look forward to meeting you in person - on the farm, in the restaurant or in the farm market. Come and say hello!"

GILES EUSTICE
OWNER