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‘Like an oilwell in your back yard’: Irish people turn to cutting peat to save on energy bills
(The Guardian, 12 Dec 2022) Curbs to protect Ireland’s bogs have gone up in smoke amid soaring costs – theft of trees and woodpiles in Germany also rising.
This was supposed to be the year Ireland got serious about protecting its bogs but some of those hopes are wafting up in smoke as households burn peat to save on energy bills.
The soaring cost of oil and gas has reinvigorated the ancient practice of cutting and burning turf, a fuel that hurts the environment but can save a family thousands of euros, especially as temperatures drop to freezing.
Earlier this year the government introduced curbs to peat cutting to protect Ireland’s bogs – which are important carbon sinks and sources of biodiversity – but Europe’s energy crisis has boosted what is supposed to be an anachronism. It costs approximately €500 to heat a household with peat for a year versus several thousand euros for more climate-friendly sources of energy.
“People are glad to have turf. It’s like having an oilwell in your own back yard,” said Michael Fitzmaurice, an independent member of parliament and chair of the An average household that relies on peat consumes 10 to 12 tonnes per year, he said. “It’s security of energy.”
The Guardian, 12 Dec 2022: ‘Like an oilwell in your back yard’: Irish people turn to cutting peat to save on energy bills
