Sir, – There has been a lot of talk about the cultural harm of losing turf cutting from Irish life, but what about the cultural devastation of losing bogs from our landscape? Most seem to agree that bogs are an integral part of our culture. But if we cut and burn them all, we will lose them from our landscape. They don’t regenerate as fast as we cut them. Bogs have been incredibly important for our artists and poets like Seamus Heaney, and for unearthing artefacts from our history that have helped us to learn about our island’s past. Our native curlews are almost extinct, and they would nest on bogs. Losing bogs means losing beautiful creatures like the curlew that we have lived alongside for countless generations. Yes, we may lose the ability to cut and burn turf, but what if we lose the ability to experience the wild beauty of the bog, which connects us to our ancestors? We have so little of our bogs left, let’s save what we have. For our culture. – Yours, etc,
M CAREY,
Cloughjordan,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Could it be one of the ironies of contemporary Irish politics that those that will kill off public support for policies to deal with climate change will be the political party that is most energetic in proposing them, namely the Greens?
It is mainly the well-off who cause most emissions and who are best placed in terms of resources to do something about it, like changing to electric cars. Yet most Green policies seem to be ones that penalise the poor, like burning turf. – Yours, etc,
CIARAN McCULLAGH,
Bishopstown,
Cork.