The state faces the prospect of paying more than €250m buying bogs on which turf- cutting is no longer allowed.

Farmers could be set for a massive windfall after a report commissioned by Environment Minister John Gormley said the cost of buying 130 bogs across the country could reach “in excess” of €227m, plus another €50m in legal costs.

But even if the bogs are not bought outright, the minister is considering buying turbary (turf cutting) rights from affected landowners.

The cost of doing this would be €54m, paid out over six years. A compensation scheme for landowners is also being considered, which would cost €42m over 14 years.

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By Paul Melia Farming Independent Tuesday June 01 2010

“We need nothing less than a CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] that respects [soil and water] and promotes practices that use them in a sustainable and resource-efficient way. We also need a CAP that can invest in protecting and restoring them when they have been degraded, contaminated or polluted,” Potočnik continued, calling for a “profound greening” of the CAP.

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The breakdown and controversial ending of the Copenhagen climate talks was predictable from the outset in a conference which was marked by secret texts, closed door meetings and walk-outs. Negotiations were halted several times over the rumoured plans to introduce a ‘Danish text’ which was outside of, and did not build upon, the official negotiation process of the ad-hoc working groups of the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) and long-term cooperative action (AWG-LCA). The Danish Presidency of the conference led to further confusion and increased levels of hostility, due to an overall lack of both clarity on the process and consultation with countries. In the end, the most cited outcome of the Conference, the Copenhagen Accord,¹ was a document drawn up in the final days by a select group of countries, and only ‘noted’ by the Conference of the Parties to the UN climate convention (COP) due to the lack of consensus to adopt it as a UN document. The Accord was strongly rejected by several parties, including Tuvalu, Bolivia, Sudan and Saudi Arabia, both for the lack of substance and the undemocratic nature in which it was drawn up. This raises concerns about the long term implications for multi-lateral negotiations under the UN process.

A team of UK scientists led by Dr. Karen Anderson (University of Exeter) has developed a new technique for monitoring the condition of peatlands. The team used a combination of images captured from Earth and space to measure spatial patterning in peatland surfaces as an indicator of their condition. This new method uses a novel coupled approach, using satellite images from space and airborne laser scanning data, and has resulted in improved peatland mapping products. For full details click here.

Dr. Anderson, who led the study, noted,

“This work is the first to demonstrate that peatland structures, which are linked to hydrological status and condition, can be measured using remote sensing techniques. Our approach enabled us to draw out the differences in surface pattern across the peatland and resulted in an improved mapping product which is useful for scientists, peatland managers, statutory conservation agencies, and for policy makers”

 CCSN has championed the idea of using remote sensing techniques such as LiDAR for  monitoring habitats and has included a section on these techniques in its first annual report.

On the Occasion of World Wetland Day 2010 events are taking place all over the world– see Ramsar Convention website
In Trinity College, a seminar with guest speakers and discussion workgroups will focus on concrete action for better protection of wetlands and wetland functions, especially wetland value for flood control and biodiversity.

The event is being organised by Coastwatch in cooperation with Civil and Environmental Engineering TCD. The proceedings are to be published and used towards wise management of wetlands.

For more information click here

The revised Programme, which provides for spending of additional funds for rural development arising under the Health Check and the European Economic Recovery Package, includes the new agri-environment scheme as well as a number of new on-farm investment schemes.

The new agri-environment scheme will benefit up to 10,000 participants and will provide a maximum payment of €5,000, as Minister Smith had previously stated at the time of Budget 2010 last month. It is focused on the priority areas of biodiversity, climate change and water management. It offers a menu of measures addressing these priorities and farmers may choose measures which complement the environmental profile of their farms. Details of the operation of the new agri-environment scheme will be finalised over the next few weeks.

The investment schemes include measures for dairy and sheep farmers, pig and poultry welfare measures and a water conservation scheme. In addition, provision has also been made for funding of establishment grants for bio-energy crops.

The revised Programme must now be formally approved by the European Commission and this is expected by the end of February. The roll-out of the various investment schemes will be phased over the lifetime of the Programme.

Link to article

Many ozone-depleting substances (ODS) have been phased out as a result of the Montreal Protocol and are regulated by EU legislation. N₂O is emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources, the latter including as a byproduct of agricultural fertiliser use and from fossil fuel combustion. Its role in ozone depletion has been known for some years and it is similar to CFCs in that it is stable when it is near the earth’s surface but releases ozone-destroying active chemicals when transported into the stratosphere (between 10 and 50km from the surface). However, N₂O is not defined as an ODS under the Montreal Protocol and, although it is a greenhouse gas (GHG) included in the basket of gases under the Kyoto Protocol, its emissions remain unregulated.

The study was the first to calculate the ozone-depleting potential (ODP) of N₂O. Current global emissions of anthropogenic N₂O are approximately 10 million metric tonnes per year, in comparison with annual emissions of one million metric tonnes of CFCs at the peak of their production in the 1980s.

These emissions of N₂O also have a significant impact on the climate. Of all the non-CO₂ GHGs included under the Kyoto Protocol, N₂O emissions have the second most powerful impact on the climate (after methane). Ozone plays a role in breaking down methane so N2O emissions continue to increase, this will lead to increase levels of methane in the atmosphere as there is less ozone around to break it down.

Click here for link to full article from Science Mag