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Our peatlands are more than a source of fuel, they act as very efficient carbon sinks. But they are proving vulnerable to new turf-cutting methods, with potentially dangerous results

IN THE MONTY PYTHON film The Life of Brian, there is a classic, oft-quoted scene, where the question is posed “What have the Romans ever done for us?” Similarly, our view of peatlands in the past was often as dismissive. Bogs were seen as wet, brown deserts, with no value to man and of little benefit to beast. However, in recent times, there is now a much wider appreciation of peatlands, for example in the areas of biodiversity, flood control and, most importantly, carbon storage.