FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PEAT FROM PLANTLIFE—SO DON’T BUY ANY

5 things you need to know about peat View this email in your browser Hi John, If you’re an avid gardener or environment enthusiast, you might have heard of peat. But do you know why it’s so precious? Here are five things you need to know: 1. Peat is often classified as a fossil fuel Peat is decomposed plant material which accumulates in waterlogged areas like moors and bogs. It’s extracted at industrial levels for gardening and horticulture. Peat bogs accumulate just 0.5 to 1 mm of peat each year and many in the UK have been growing for as long as 10,000 years [1]. That’s why peat is often called a fossil fuel — because it’s ancient and almost impossible to renew. 2. Peat extraction is devastating for our wildlife and climate… Rare wildlife thrives in peatland. It’s home to some of the UK’s most distinctive plant communities, like sundews, butterworts, and colourful sphagnum mosses. Peatlands are also one of our most important carbon sinks. But when peat is exploited, it’s exposed to the air and releases carbon dioxide — this turns a wonderful carbon store into a dreadful carbon emitter. 3. … and peat extraction puts us in danger in other ways, too Peatlands slow the flow of water, helping to keep us safe from floods and provide resilience to drought. Plus, water filtered through healthy peatland is of a better quality than water from extracted bogs — giving us affordable, safe and clean drinking water. 4. Despite government promises, peat sale is STILL legal Many people think peat sales are already banned. But nope — despite the wealth of evidence showing the environmental cost and overwhelming public support for a ban, you’ll still find it on sale at garden centres across the country [2]. 5. It’s up to all of us to protect peat & keep it in the ground Amateur gardening accounts for 69% of peat used in the UK — we currently use three billion litres of it every year [3]. But if the Royal Horticultural Society has made 97% of their gardens peat-free, so can we! By buying peat-free soil, encouraging our loved ones to do the same, or by making our own compost at home, we can all play our part. John, can you forward this email to three friends right now? We need to get the message out about how precious peat is — and how we can STOP destroying our environment by using it. Yes, I'll forward the email now Yes, I'll forward the email now Thanks so much for being with us. Read more about why we need to keep peat in the ground here. Charley Plantlife Nature Editor PS. We’ll be launching a petition on peat very soon — watch this space! Sources: 1. Briefing 1 Peat Bog Ecosystems Key Definitions - 2014.pdf 2. Home - Peat Free Partnership 3. Peat usage in growing media production - GOV.UK Follow Plantlife on: Twitter Twitter Facebook Facebook Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Visit Plantlife's website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive emails from Plantlife. If you don't want to receive emails from us in the future, please unsubscribe here.