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Russia's plan to mine peatlands for energy could release 113 gigatons of carbon Jeremy Hance mongabay.com September 08, 2009
Peat mining for energy "causes much larger carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels, will ruin precious nature and disrupt the hydrology of large areas," writes Tatiana Minaeva from Wetlands International. Large-scale plans for exploitation of the country's massive peatlands was recently announced by Konstantin Alekseyev, director of the Department of coal mining and peat industry of the Russia’s Ministry, on the ministry's website. Currently carbon emission from Russia's peatlands are 100 megatons per year (only 0.1 percent of Russia's energy use), however with 1.4 square kilometers of peatland, containing 47 percent of global peat resources, Russia could potentially release 113 gigatons of carbon from peatland mining if all peatlands were drained. Such emissions would comprise fifteen times the annual global carbon emissions. Russia should "develop only small scale mining for local use in remote areas and to only allow techniques that limit the impact on the landscape and allow natural regrowth, such as 'wet' peat extraction to limit the extraction to small areas were also deep layers are mined instead of large surfaces. In addition, mined areas should be restored by ending drainage," Minaeva writes. Wetlands International further warns that peatland ecosystems in Russia are extremely sensitive to disturbance, saying that any impact is "often ten times the size of the area of the activity itself". Currently third (as of 2006) in the list of highest carbon emitters behind China and the United States, Russia's president recently announced that it would lower its carbon emissions by 10-15 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. However, this actually means Russia plans to raise emissions, since emissions were far higher in 1990 before the collapse of the Soviet Union. The announcement means Russia will allow emissions to rise by 2-2.5 percent every year until 2020. Ireland and Finland have the world's highest percentage of energy generated by draining peatlands. Related articles Russia pledges to raise carbon emissions to combat global warming (06/25/2009) In a bizarre announcement that threatens to further weaken the international community's ability to come together on climate change, Russia has said it will reduce its emissions 10-15 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. The problem is that in 1990 Russia's carbon emissions were much higher than they are today, so this 'lowering' of carbon emissions actually means that Russia will raise its emissions by 2 to 2.5 percent annually until 2020. Finland, Sweden push for loophole that would drive destruction of peatlands around the world (12/09/2008) Finland and Sweden are pushing for a loophole in the E.U.'s Renewable Energy Directive that would open up vast tracts of peatlands around the world to development for biofuels production. The move could have drastic consequences for climate and biodiversity, warns Wetlands International, an environmental group. 10% of global CO2 emissions result from swamp destruction (12/10/2007) More than 10 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions result from the degradation and destruction of peat swamps, reports the first comprehensive global assessment on the links between peatland degradation and climate change.
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