"There is only one way to keep Manitoba peat from accelerating climate change: leave the peat in the ground," provincial Wilderness Committee campaign director Eric Reder said in a statement.

According to The Wilderness Committee, Manitoba's peat lands are the province's best natural defence against global warming, as the peat absorbs significant amounts of climate-changing carbon. When those lands are bulldozed, drained and harvested, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.

“Peat land bogs take thousands of years to form and store vast quantities of carbon. Mining these peat bogs releases all of that stored carbon,” says David Nickarz, Green Party of Manitoba advocate for Conservation and Water Stewardship. “This is a step in the wrong direction.”

Globally, peatlands are the world’s most important terrestrial carbon sink, making them one of the greatest climate change mitigation tools available. Peat mining releases this vast carbon store into the air and stops the area from sequestering new carbon. Peat mining further affects local water quality, and removes a distinct ecosystem that houses many unique species.

Industry claims that, peat bogs will be restored to their natural state. Peat bogs are often reclaimed into a type of wetland or agricultural land which, while better than nothing, is of lower ecological quality than the original bog. Reclamation also cannot undo the loss of the carbon stored in the original bog. Despite new legislation and Peat Strategy, the required public registry is not in place.

View June 30, 2015 The Green Party of Manitoba article
View March 25, 2015 Winnipeg Free Press article
View February 25, 2013 Manitoba Government news release
View Manitoba Wildlands Peat Mining in Manitoba page