<
https://theconversation.com/peat-was-historically-mined-overseas-because-it-burns-so-well-but-australias-subtropical-peat-bogs-need-fire-to-survive-228200>
"When I lived in Kalimantan in Indonesia in the 1990s and later in Kuala Lumpur
in Malaysia, I would often wake to toxic, smoke-filled skies. The air would be
filled with the distinctive smell of burning peat, as farmers cleared tropical
peat swamp forests to make way for oil palm plantations.
Airports and schools would close, and hospitals would fill with people in
respiratory distress – myself included. Global greenhouse gas emissions would
spike because peatlands are the planet’s most carbon rich ecosystems.
Throughout the world – from the subarctic peat bogs to the tropical peat swamp
forests – drainage and rising temperatures are driving increasingly frequent
and intense fires, releasing emissions from millions of hectares of peatlands
and destroying irreplaceable biodiversity.
Uniquely, an Australian subtropical peatland ecosystem exists that is not only
resilient to the frequent bushfires, but actually needs fire to survive."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
