Should the burning of Turf be made illegal now in Ireland these days?

Graces7

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

i was saying exactly the same thing in my living room earlier - im not being bugged am i ? lol ... except for I did mention the USA and china and Japan adding to the equation ..

No but on the other hand if a plane were to fly over our house from knock to luton airport and i was outside, would it make me cough wheeze and make my eyes sore? .... no, it would just be noisy .... however i did go out earlier tonight for a bit of fresh air (thats a bleeding larf!) and was greeted with turf fire smell in the cold night air which burnt my respriority system and made my throat and chest hurt and my eyes water and itch!

Well you clearly have a system no one else has ..WEAR A MASK!

Graces7

Grayson wrote: »

In that case we can import rubbish and burn it. We're hardly making a dent anyway so what's a bit more.

Bogs should be preserved at this stage. they're practically endangered. We've already destroyed over 95% of our raised bogs and over 80% of the peatland in total. Ignorant culchies think they can keep chopping it up and burning it.

I grew up in the countryside and we burned turf but back then people knew feck all about conservation. People who actually know all the facts but still decide that it's ok to burn a rare and endangered ecosystem are fecking selfish morons.

Some of us are just COLD and need fires and cannot afford to buy oil etc. Your language needs purifying, with FIRE

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Turf is low grade heat to mass. It is a high pollutant. Within the Irish context, it's cutting does huge environmental damage. Yes it is cheap but the heat output to spend is poor. I am always amused by those in traditional turf cutting areas saying they can't afford to heat their homes without turf but people all over the country do just that with the same pensions or welfare payments.
Personally, I burned it for years through the late 50s and early 60s but discovered that my money was better spent on quality coal. I also, in later years, saw the research results into the pollution it causes and its impact on our environment. No fuel is truly environmentally friendly but turf is near bottom of the league.

codie

Braelynn Scruffy Somewhat wrote: »

Turf is low grade heat to mass. It is a high pollutant. Within the Irish context, it's cutting does huge environmental damage. Yes it is cheap but the heat output to spend is poor. I am always amused by those in traditional turf cutting areas saying they can't afford to heat their homes without turf but people all over the country do just that with the same pensions or welfare payments.
Personally, I burned it for years through the late 50s and early 60s but discovered that my money was better spent on quality coal. I also, in later years, saw the research results into the pollution it causes and its impact on our environment. No fuel is truly environmentally friendly but turf is near bottom of the league.

So whats top of the league?

codie

codie wrote: »

So whats top of the league?

Turf is expensive if you purchase delivered but most people I know just pay for the cutting and do the rest themselves.Its not expensive.

OpenYourEyes

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

Leave our turf alone townies.

Pollution in Ireland from cars, farting cows and turf fires is a pinprick in the overall scheme of things and anyone who thinks that us being as green as green can be will make a blind bit of difference while super power industrial scale pollution giants like Japan, China, USA and Russia carry on regardless is very naïve.

Well one of the added benefits of cleaning up our act in terms of CO2 pollution is that it goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and the maintenance of ecosystem services.

For example, if we looked after the soil in our farms better (we're doing a terrible job, its complicated...) not only would we lock-up more CO2 but we'd also pollute our rivers and lakes (ie.e. water supply) less, and in terms of agriculture we'd be better placed to face periods of extreme weather and climate change with minimal loss of output. There's a bigger picture than you think there is! :P

OpenYourEyes

better call saul wrote: »

You Dublin folk should worry more about Starbucks related ******ry that you have grown accustomed to and leave the decent country folk to burn what they obtain from back breaking word as our forefathers did.

Pretty sure the way turf is harvested now is very very different to how our forefathers did it :rolleyes:

OpenYourEyes

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

Do you think burning oil, gas, timber, coal etc is carbon neutral?

Do you think burning turf is?!?

Graces7 wrote: »

You must be driving around with your eyes closed as bog reclamation is going on in many area.

Burning turf is wonderful...

Bog reclamation isn't going on in nearly enough places unfortunately, and as important as it is it's still not the same as not draining/cutting the bog in the first place unfortunately.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

In addition, those who burn turf should not complain the next time extreme weather causes floods in their area. We are ripping out the natural soakage of many regions of our country.

Kevin McCloud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Do you think burning turf is?!?

Where did i insinuate it is?

OpenYourEyes

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

Where did i insinuate it is?

I didn't say you insinuated it is, I asked a question.

joe912

Braelynn Scruffy Somewhat wrote: »

Turf is low grade heat to mass. It is a high pollutant. Within the Irish context, it's cutting does huge environmental damage. Yes it is cheap but the heat output to spend is poor. I am always amused by those in traditional turf cutting areas saying they can't afford to heat their homes without turf but people all over the country do just that with the same pensions or welfare payments.
Personally, I burned it for years through the late 50s and early 60s but discovered that my money was better spent on quality coal. I also, in later years, saw the research results into the pollution it causes and its impact on our environment. No fuel is truly environmentally friendly but turf is near bottom of the league.

considering that's what people have been burning for the last thousand years. The damage surely has already been done.
It would be a far better idea to burn coal from china (god knows the Chinese need the money and work) without doubt getting coal from china to the west of Ireland would leave virtually no carbon footprint.

Kevin McCloud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I didn't say you insinuated it is, I asked a question.

Can you not google the answer yourself?

joe912

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Well one of the added benefits of cleaning up our act in terms of CO2 pollution is that it goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and the maintenance of ecosystem services.

For example, if we looked after the soil in our farms better (we're doing a terrible job, its complicated...) not only would we lock-up more CO2 but we'd also pollute our rivers and lakes (ie.e. water supply) less, and in terms of agriculture we'd be better placed to face periods of extreme weather and climate change with minimal loss of output. There's a bigger picture than you think there is! :P

Are you still trying to scaremonger, with global warming, I mean climate change, I mean exteme weather some day these overpaid morons will get it right and those people who are more intelligent than us country folk will be able to say I told you so.

who the fug

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Well one of the added benefits of cleaning up our act in terms of CO2 pollution is that it goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and the maintenance of ecosystem services.

For example, if we looked after the soil in our farms better (we're doing a terrible job, its complicated...) not only would we lock-up more CO2 but we'd also pollute our rivers and lakes (ie.e. water supply) less, and in terms of agriculture we'd be better placed to face periods of extreme weather and climate change with minimal loss of output. There's a bigger picture than you think there is! :P

Twaddle pure and utter .

News alert farmers live in the country side and do not wake up every morning to make where they live ****e

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

joe912 wrote: »

Are you still trying to scaremonger, with global warming, I mean climate change, I mean exteme weather some day these overpaid morons will get it right and those people who are more intelligent than us country folk will be able to say I told you so.

Please don't try to suggest all country folk think as you do. I am a country lad. I have lived over 70 years in remote rural Ireland and I , like many of my peers, can see the proof of the damage to our environment from the cutting and burning of turf. Neither intelligence nor ignorance are the sole preserve of urban or rural dwellers.

Andy From Sligo

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

A move up to the land of the Jackeens might suit you better OP, you seem a bit too fragile for country living.

hmmm Jackeens , got a nice ring to it - is that off the N4? ... and how do they light their fires up there?

joe912

Braelynn Scruffy Somewhat wrote: »

Please don't try to suggest all country folk think as you do. I am a country lad. I have lived over 70 years in remote rural Ireland and I , like many of my peers, can see the proof of the damage to our environment from the cutting and burning of turf. Neither intelligence nor ignorance are the sole preserve of urban or rural dwellers.

what proof can you see.

Galwayguy35

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

hmmm Jackeens , got a nice ring to it - is that off the N4? ... and how do they light their fires up there?

Just keep going until you hear "jaysus howya bud".

OpenYourEyes

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

Can you not google the answer yourself?

I know the answer. I'm more concerned with whether you know or were implying the true answer or not. If you re-read my post you'll see that I asked what you thought.

OpenYourEyes

joe912 wrote: »

Are you still trying to scaremonger, with global warming, I mean climate change, I mean exteme weather some day these overpaid morons will get it right and those people who are more intelligent than us country folk will be able to say I told you so.

The term global warming is correct, they just had to stop using it because idiots kept saying "sure it was cold the other day", so to circumvent that idiocy they made it as idiot-proof as they could with the term climate change. If people don't understand it after that its obviously because they dont want to understand it, rather than them misunderstanding it.

OpenYourEyes

who the fug wrote: »

Twaddle pure and utter .

News alert farmers live in the country side and do not wake up every morning to make where they live ****e

Backed by science and evidence, if you think its all false and can support it with evidence then you could have a very promising career in science.

And its evidence from agricultural scientists - people with an interest in making our agricultural industry as strong and robust as possible!

Just because they dont do it intentionally doesnt mean they dont do it unfortunately! Policy makers are as much, if not moreso, to blame than farmers.

username2013

Tail Docker wrote: »

Umm, you're doing it wrong so.

Think it might depend on the turf you have. The piece of bog we had, had pure ****e turf so we burned sticks and coal. Nothing beats coal for heat though in my experience. Not great for the auld environment though I suppose. Went to a gas fire years ago.

Kevin McCloud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I know the answer. I'm more concerned with whether you know or were implying the true answer or not. If you re-read my post you'll see that I asked what you thought.

This isn't a court case, plus i don't get paid to think.

Aquagakka

I burn coal and the guy who delivers it tells me its shipped from Colombia.

Mad.

OpenYourEyes

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

This isn't a court case, plus i don't get paid to think.

I know its not a court case.....you made a statement on a public forum, I asked you to clarify what you said - if I had criticised what you said or taken you up wrong you'd be complaining that I didnt take the time to ask and clarfiy :rolleyes:

Kevin McCloud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I know its not a court case.....you made a statement on a public forum, I asked you to clarify what you said - if I had criticised what you said or taken you up wrong you'd be complaining that I didnt take the time to ask and clarfiy :rolleyes:

What do you specifically want me to answer?

Andy From Sligo

Aquagakka wrote: »

I burn coal and the guy who delivers it tells me its shipped from Colombia.

Mad.

if they hadnt shut down all the mines in the UK you could get it shipped from there .... or excuse my ignorance and lack of education but are they/were there any coal mines in Ireland ever?

Aquagakka

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

if they hadnt shut down all the mines in the UK you could get it shipped from there .... or excuse my ignorance and lack of education but are they/were there any coal mines in Ireland ever?

Coalisland in Tyrone, perhaps unsurprisingly.

feargale

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

if they hadnt shut down all the mines in the UK you could get it shipped from there .... or excuse my ignorance and lack of education but are they/were there any coal mines in Ireland ever?

Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, Glengoole, ( " Gleann Guail" ) near Ballingarry Co. Tipperary, Coalisland Co. Tyrone, another place on the borders of Kilkenny and Laois whose name escapes me, and down the road from you in Arigna on the borders of Roscommon and South Leitrim. None are operating now. Arigna mine is now a museum which you should see. It's well worth a visit.
In the 1930s the Minister for Justice, in reply to a Dàil question, stated that outside of Dublin there were only two places in Ireland where there was evidence of Communism, Kilrush ( seaport) and Castlecomer ( mines.) Communism tends to thrive among coalminers, because most people wouldn't send their dog down a coalmine.
Irish coalmines have had other associations with radical politics. In 1798 the Wexford rebels had hoped that the Castlecomer miners would rise and that the rising would spread from there into Munster, but Castlecomer didn't rise, mainly, it is thought, because the miners there were of English descent. It was no coincidence that Smith O'Brien in 1848 tried to start his rebellion in the Ballingarry area, coalmining country,