Home Composting - Taking Action for Peatlands, Climate and Biodiversity?

Introduction

In 2020 the Irish Government established the Peat Use In Horticulture Working Group to review the use of peat within the industry. In early 2022 the final report was published, a report the Irish Peatland Conservation Council did not support. With funding support from the Community Foundation for Ireland through the Irish Environmental Network the Irish Peatland Conservation Council are asking for your help to better understand public perceptions towards the use of peat as a growing media, the impacts, if any, peat extraction has on peatlands, climate and biodiversity and the connection, if any, between composting, peatlands, climate and biodiversity. To share the survey results with you participants will be invited to an online talk following analysis of the results. Thank you for your time.

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* 1. Your email

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* 2. Have you purchased peat moss compost for use in your garden in the last 12 months?

Yes

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* 3. Do you consider the extraction of peat for use as a growing media to have an affect on peatlands, climate and biodiversity?

Yes

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* 4. If you answered yes to question 3, do you consider the extraction of peat from peatlands to have a positive or negative affect?

Positive

Negative

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* 5. How much peat was extracted from Irish peatlands for export in 2018 for the use in horticulture?

< 100,000 tonnes

100,000-200,000 tonnes

200,000-300,000 tonnes

400,000-500,000 tonnes

500,000-600,000 tonnes

700,000-800,000 tonnes

800,000-900,000 tonnes

900,000-1 million tonnes

> 1 million tonnes

I don't know

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* 6. In 2019 the Irish Government declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. Can peatlands support climate mitigation plans and biodiversity targets?

Yes

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* 7. Do you compost at home?

Yes

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* 8. By home composting do you believe you are taking action to support peatland habitat and climate & biodiversity mitigation plans?

Yes

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* 9. If you answered yes to question 8, what do you believe the connection between composting, peatlands, climate and biodiversity to be?

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* 10. If you have not started to compost or if you have a question relating to improving your compost skills please comment below. If you provided your e-mail above you will be invited to join the Irish Peatland Conservation Council for an online talk to share the results of this survey and answer your questions.