Facts? Who needs facts?

[alan refail]

I had decided not to add any more to the various peat debate threads, but I just cannot resist sharing this one!

Last Saturday the Telegraph ran a feature on the attack on Alan Titchmarsh's comments on peat use ("The Titchhunt"?)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/84 ... marsh.html

Part of it was entitled Ten facts about peat

My pedantic eyes were attracted to the previously unknown (to me) unit "cubic litres" in this "fact": Britons use three million cubic litres of peat every year, most of which is imported from Ireland or the Baltic States.

Now my calculations tell me that that that equals 3000 cubic metres, and, if you follow on the calculation, that amounts to a very small hole indeed in the worldwide stock of peat!

Clearly, where campaigners and journalists are concerned, all you need to do is sound concerned, quote a suitably large and unimaginable figure and you've convinced the unthinking masses!

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
Having read the website you have posted it would appear that because this only covers England, which you and I have tried to point out, I am still of the opinion that the whole thing is a total waste of public money.
Very little Peat is actually dug in England and I suspect that the widely used statistic of 630,000 tons of carbon has very little to do with England alone. This is where you and I question the statistics used but have been unable to confirm any of the statistics used. I take it that you have not had a reply from the RSPB and are very unlikely to do so.
Without the extraction of something be it Peat or Gavel or Sand the RSPB would have virtually no water nature reserves and my thoughts on this is that they are being exceedingly short sighted. An example of their shortsightedness is regarding the birds that we might lose because they would move away from our shores with an increase of temperature but forget that the birds that would come in to replace them which IMHO we would gain many more than we would use. This is the tactics they use when they put the begging bowl out using the Aaargh factor!
As you appreciate I too have given up debating the banning of Peat because it simply is not going anywhere and totally wrecking this wonderful forum.
He, who is the cause of this, has not a care in the world just so long as he has his selfishness gratified.
This is my final word on Peat!
JB.

[John Walker]

A polite request: would those who have made it clear they are not interested in contributing further and/or constructively to the peat conversation, kindly to stick to their word and keep their miserable unpleasantness to themselves.

[Nature's Babe]

The kitchen garden survey showed only 21% using peat when I last looked, maybe that is because the vast majority of people are showing a sense of responsibility towards the environment, our fellow creatures, and future generations, peat users are in a minority thankfully.

[alan refail]

The kitchen garden survey showed only 21% using peat when I last looked, maybe that is because the vast majority of people are showing a sense of responsibility towards the environment, our fellow creatures, and future generations, peat users are in a minority thankfully.

Morning NB

If we are talking facts, the actual results (as of 7.14 am on 29 April 2011) are as below.

What type of potting compost do you use in your garden?
Only peat-based - 25 votes
Only peat-free - 58 votes
Whatever is available at the time - 52 votes
I buy what's cheapest - 34 votes
I make my own - 39 votes

The only definite conclusion that can be drawn from these figures is that 58 out of 208 respondents do not use peat.

[Nature's Babe]

that is why i said when I last saw it Alan. Looks like it is difficult to draw any conclusions. I was one who makes their own, to avoid transport emissions and peat but who knows what others do. Similarlly in our area almost all the available composts are now peat free, so those that take whatever is available are most likely to be getting peat free. Those that do actually consciously choose a peat based compost are in minority only 25%,
I for one am pleased to see that and hope the decline continues for the sake of our fellow creatures and the environment. Loss of habitat contributes greatly to extinctions and who is the prime cause of that... humans, thankfully we are becoming more aware of this. The recent surge in extinctions is now 1000 times greater than it was historically because of our activities. I believe we should be more mindful and considerate, conserving diversity in the wild for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations of humans and our fellow creatures.

http://www.terranature.org/extinctionsS ... EP-CBD.htm

[alan refail]

Sorry to labour the point, NB, but what I am interested in are facts. What you say in your reply is based on surmise and anecdote. By the way, the figures in the poll results are actual votes cast not percentages, as you seem to think. In fact only about 12% said they only used peat. No conclusions whatsoever can be drawn from the final three options.

[Johnboy]

John Walker.

A polite request: would those who have made it clear they are not interested in contributing further and/or constructively to the peat conversation, kindly to stick to their word and keep their miserable unpleasantness to themselves.

Another polite request! If you have nothing sensible to say would you kindly keep your comments to yourself!
JB.

[Shallot Man]

I think someone might have thrown their dummy out of the pram.

[KGAdmin]

It takes two to tango - and two to create an argument - and from where I sit, very clearly two people are winding each other up.
*I* would request that you keep personal - and snide references to people - out of posts. Even if you don't name someone, it can be very clear who you are talking about - and in those cases it must also stop.

KGAdmin

[alan refail]

Back to the point of this thread:

RSPB - Peat bogs are a vital carbon sink and the market for peat based compost in the UK is responsible for 630,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year – the equivalent of an extra 300,000 cars on our roads.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/news/271954-con ... peat-levy-

Garden Organic - The UK peat industry alone is responsible for 630,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year – the equivalent of more than 100,000 cars.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/e-news/peat.php

All I ask is which do we believe? 100,000 or 300,000?

[Nature's Babe]

Even taking ther lower figure, that is way too much to be adding into the equasion if we value our planet and I for one have no wish to cause more harm.