Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 23:15:18 +0000 From: Paul Temple <Paultemple@ecologycal.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1646$foo@default> Subject: Re: Moss Peat Substitutes & Wisley
Nigel et al
>Last year's UK CPS AGM had a talk by someone extremely anti-peat but
>a lot of the content seemed ill-considered.
Not quite. He was actually very anti the way in which commercial
organisations stripped the environment of peat with no consideration for
the damage caused to wetlands, bogs, etc. and their wildlife. In fact,
he basically agreed with your view that sustainable removal by old
methodfs was not a problem. The real problem was greed (commercialism)
and the people who use peat when substitutes clearly would do. (Still,
I benefitted from chatting to him after the meet. I can understand how
his presentation resulted in your comment!).
Thus...
>What was most depressing about the recent CPS meeting at Wisley was
>seeing the huge stack of bales of peat in the fenced-off area, and
>the huge chunks of tufa in the alpine house.
... Wisley is clearly an an example where peat is still used where
subsitutes would do. Anyone walking the Wisley Gardens in Spring can
see Peat is used as a top dressing for open flower beds! I've seen it
used elsewhere for plants that can easily grow in Coir. But what do you
expect? the Royal Horticultural Garden (RHS), of which Wisley is their
showcase garden, would like us all to believe how wonderful they are.
Yet they have consistently failed to apply conservation where they could
(thus their contiued use of peat where alternatives exist). They have
also failed to publish any reasonable standards that support and
actually implement conservation measures and thereby do not require
themselves to meet any conservation standards no do they require their
members or affiliate groups to do so. A perfect example of setting no
example whatsoever!!! I'll laugh the first time they fall foul
(publicly!) of conservation/biodiversity conventions or laws.
Regards
Paul
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