Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Peat Briquette RIP

Options
12357…10

Comments

  • Options
    #122
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,497 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Bigbooty wrote: »
    Aren't we going to be connected to mainland Europe soon? We will get to use french nuclear power without having them in our country. No need to worry about energy security once this happens.

    Peat harvesting is ecocide. Globally, boglands are bigger carbon sinks than all forest combined and when we don't disturb them they are highly biodiverse. It's great that the government are moving to phase out peat harvesting.

    I think there will be allot of private companies still harvesting. We’re a long way from a total ban.


  • Options
    #123
    Bigbooty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 229 ✭✭Bigbooty


    _Brian wrote: »
    I think there will be allot of private companies still harvesting. We’re a long way from a total ban.

    That's a shame, the brits are miles ahead with their view of bog management..They drained them 30-40 years ago to plant trees and started restoration 10 -15 years ago. I've attached a link for anyone interested, is there an Irish equivalent doing the same thing?

    UK peatland restoration project.


  • Options
    #124
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,830 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    Bigbooty wrote: »
    Aren't we going to be connected to mainland Europe soon? We will get to use french nuclear power without having them in our country. No need to worry about energy security once this happens.

    Irish solution to an Irish problem.


  • Options
    #125
    Mimon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭Mimon


    Bigbooty wrote: »
    Aren't we going to be connected to mainland Europe soon? We will get to use french nuclear power without having them in our country. No need to worry about energy security once this happens.

    Peat harvesting is ecocide. Globally, boglands are bigger carbon sinks than all forest combined and when we don't disturb them they are highly biodiverse. It's great that the government are moving to phase out peat harvesting.

    The Canadians have had success bringing the bog backs to living bogs. As long as it hasn't been totally excavated down to the bedrock it is possible.

    Disgraceful treatment of all our heritage by these private excavators. Westland destroyed a three thousand year old causeway in Westmeath. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20350873.html

    Part of it is being preserved but most of it has been destroyed.

    The river near this site was a renowned coarse fishing location and is now more or less sterile. Peat has gotten into the water and choked the river.

    Having peatmoss and briquettes is too high a cost to pay for this permanent destruction of our environment and our heritage.


  • Options
    #126
    cj maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 13,486 ✭✭✭✭cj maxx


    I always thought peat briquettes were a bit shyte. Won't miss them.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #127
    NIMAN
    Registered Users Posts: 33,133 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Didn't quite understand the piece on RTE News last night.

    It was from a coal merchants, and people rushing out to get as many briquettes as they could after the announcement.

    Isn't production going on for the next 3 years?


  • Options
    #128
    Mimon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭Mimon


    NIMAN wrote: »
    Didn't quite understand the piece on RTE News last night.

    It was from a coal merchants, and people rushing out to get as many briquettes as they could after the announcement.

    Isn't production going on for the next 3 years?

    Thick people acting thick.


  • Options
    #129
    Cerveza
    Closed Accounts Posts: 424 ✭✭Cerveza


    Remember as a young lad we used crush them up and put them into rollies and smoke them. Not as good as turf but not bad either.


  • Options
    #130
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,601 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    cj maxx wrote: »
    I always thought peat briquettes were a bit shyte. Won't miss them.


    If they were amazing the vast majority of people wouldnt be switching to boilers. Same goes for coal.


    I love the smell of a turf fire as a novelty but I wouldnt want to be dealing with the stuff every day


  • Options
    #131
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    completedit wrote: »
    No way! Immediately brings me back to memories of Sunday nights; undone homework, the heat of the fire and the smell of ambrosia Creamed Rice. Over time those Sunday nights began to peter out, nonetheless, I'lll never briquette those days

    And Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at you. Well, Holy God.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #132
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,829 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Cerveza wrote: »
    Remember as a young lad we used crush them up and put them into rollies and smoke them. Not as good as turf but not bad either.

    Lol... Better that splitting open Lyons tea bags I suppose!!


  • Options
    #133
    chosen1
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭chosen1


    Don't think there's many families using solid fuel to run their central heating boilers these days due to its inefficiency, but there is something comforting about an open fire that is impossible to beat.

    I'd never dream of buying a house without a working fireplace. Have a stove now for our main living space and it really adds to the atmosphere on cold winter evenings. The Scandinavians call it hygge and it has benefits to mental wellbeing.

    As for people on the thread that need a box of firelighters to get a fire going, I'd advise them to watch some YouTube videos and get their skills up as anyone can get a roaring fire going in 10 minutes with the right combination of a small firelighter, kindling and solid fuel.


  • Options
    #134
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,885 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    Can someone please tell me why Eamon Ryan and the Greens is to blame for this and that this is why rural Ireland hates them?
    FG brought this in, and carbon taxes.

    I wonder who rural Ireland will blame for environmental measures when there are no Greens in the next government? Because these policies are not going to go away, so it will be interesting to see how you vote when all parties have green policies in their manifestos.


  • Options
    #135
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,829 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    chosen1 wrote: »
    Don't think there's many families using solid fuel to run their central heating boilers these days due to its inefficiency, but there is something comforting about an open fire that is impossible to beat.

    I'd never dream of buying a house without a working fireplace. Have a stove now for our main living space and it really adds to the atmosphere on cold winter evenings. The Scandinavians call it hygge and it has benefits to mental wellbeing.

    As for people on the thread that need a box of firelighters to get a fire going, I'd advise them to watch some YouTube videos and get their skills up as anyone can get a roaring fire going in 10 minutes with the right combination of a small firelighter, kindling and solid fuel.

    Got rid of both fireplaces 21 years ago, no sticks, no firelighters, no dirty coal bags leaking black filth all over the yard in wet weather, no arguments over filling and hauling coal buckets nto the house, my mental health has certainly improved:D


  • Options
    #136
    1874
    Registered Users Posts: 2,382 ✭✭✭1874


    CFlat wrote: »
    Don't worry, some scientist somewhere in the future will say that electricity has a detrimental impact on the environment. And the circle of blame for destroying the earth will continue ad nauseum.


    Well, Id say its about producing our power and heat needs with the least environmental impact and doing so the most efficiently, I dont really like using buzz words or terminology, but the "low hanging fruit" is the end use has to be the least amount possible for each user, so efficiency has to be high, the best way to do this is external wall insulation and airtightness, MVHR, and even heat pumps because they can reduce the cost or depending on how you look at it increase the heat output 3-4 fold if set up and run correctly, basically needs insualtion and airtightness done correctly imo.


    Deleted User wrote: »
    So about the same price as gas but at a massive initial outlay?

    Well Gas also has a large initial outlay, and NO, not the same price,and heat pumps are significantly more efficient, with insulation/airtightness/MVHR, could cost you the same to run the electric consumption for a fridge once paid off, payoff time depends on other factors, but lets say 8-10, even 15years, then exceptionally cheap to run all your heating needs, look up Passiv Haus.



    I'm all in favour of wind and solar and as electric cars become more widespread and smart-metering/home batteries come online it'll be grand, but as far as heating goes the government need to get their heads out of their arses.


    I'm in favour of green energy, but more passive less visible than wind usually, but where wind can be harnessed, I think it would be better on fewer larger scale set ups, rather than piecemeal all over the place, thats for a few reasons. Small windturbines are less effective at producing power, and they are likely at a size thats less able to harness it, overall I dont believe wind is the answer on its own, nothing is the answer on its own. It should be a mix of large scale traditional fired generation with as modern as possible means to produce (regenerative cycles) electricity (and limit pollution better than one off heat units currently) to meet the base load, with additional load being assisted by distributed large and small scale PV, and with demand reduced at the end user by methods mentioned above (insulation etc) and hot water load met by solar thermal/PV mix, it could be possible to increase efficiency, reduce our demand/reduce CO2 ( or at least not increase it), adding in carbon sequestering potentially in former turf cut land, returning poor land to better use and grow established native trees that could tolerate potential future increases in average temperatures than scrub grass and weeds as is on many patches of unused land.


    For years they (perhaps correctly pushed gas. I remember 25 years ago all the streets where I lived were dug up for the summer for them to lay the gas lines.
    Now they want to ban gas boilers in new houses in 2023. For some reason they want to ban gas burners before oil burners.
    New house regulations are a complete and utter joke. Heat pumps are expensive and even if they run perfectly are no cheaper per unit than gas.


    Yes, that was 20 plus years ago, and gas was and still is better than solid fuel being burned at each and every house, I recal the smog from that, it was ridiculous, gas is way more efficient, even now up to the low to mid 90 percents. But times change, things move on, you cant rely on the State to give the best answer anyway, but that was a huge leap in efficiency and pollution reduction.
    They want to ban gas boilers you say? for some reason?? yes, because now we have modern heat pumps, which have efficiency greater than any boiler can match, with more efficient production of electricity to reduce pollution/co2, If the COP is 3.5-4, that means for every 1kwh of electricity you pay to run a heat pump, you are getting 3.5-4kwh heat out of it, thats why change is being pushed for. So you are wrong, if they are set up correctly and used where they work (insulated/airtight buildings or insulated water heating they can produce heat cost effectively and definitely efficiently, people dont understand them and neither do installers potentially imo.
    IMO There needs to be easy to follow guidelines for non engineers to establish what the heat demands for a building are, maybe have it so it needs to be signed off by a certain standard heating engineer, same for airtightness and insulation (any done wrong or poorly can cause problems).
    Gas boilers before oil, havent heard, maybe because its politically easier to tackle?, because most new installs would possibly gas and its easier to replace?? cant answer that one, just guessing as never heard that specific info before.



    My parents rebuilt their house about 25 years ago (just before gas was available) and put in an oil burner. I doubt they've spent 500 quid on maintenance and it's still running perfectly.



    Im sure thats true, maybe they managed that because your Dad (or maybe your mam) was doing the maintenance. Its very likely that the oil burner was not as clean (more pollution/co2) as a gas boiler, likewise, even my own gas boiler is a low efficiency item, but it is very reliable, its likely your parents paid more in the long run for oil, as I have likely for gas, but Im holding out as long as possible so that when I change, it will be not to a more efficient gas boiler at 94% or whatever, but instead to a heat pump that can produce heat at levels comparable to gas boiler cost per unit of kwh. Gas is typically 3 times cheaper per kwh, with a heatpump COP of 3.5-4, thats reducing the cost of electric usage by 3.5-5 times, similar or better than gas using large scale produce electricity (less Co2 that similar,same or even less kwh consumption producing that heat in a one off gas boiler and certainly in a one off oil boiler set up, all without the local pollution it produces).

    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    Turf cutting will be around for a long time yet, there's a reason the Greens are hated outside urban areas.


    The greens arent only disliked in rural areas, in urban areas by anyone that isnt in their circle, so wealthy enough to go along with them, the end goal is right, but the implementation is ridiculous imo as it has to be feasible and more carrot than stick. That said, went on a holiday to Sligo once, lovely area near the coast, it was summertime, later on the first evening, noticed bonfires lighting up, all over the place, nearest ones could clearly see it was plastic at least was being burned, not through peoples chimneys, I blame the State for defunding waste collection and for poor implementation and not realising people will take the cheapest option, but individuals still have to do the right thing too, can oly imagine what any foreign tourists were thinking of how we treat our countryside, I was horrified.


    bassy wrote: »
    what will this mean for private bog owners,who produce there own turf?.


    Well they dont produce it, only cut it, I can imagine that will go the way of the Do-do, we either stop cutting it, or it will eventually run out, maybe its possible to restore or help them and they can serve as a wildlife preserve, maybe we can even restore them/help capture Co2 by growing appropriate native plants/trees. I have one idea that might be too horrific to mention on how to restore them, but obviously these things need to be calculated and tested by environmental engineers.

    Deleted User wrote: »
    But like, you do have in California for example rolling blackouts all summer as they made their energy green and it can't cope now..


    Not 100% certain, might be because they haven't put the money into their grid and generation and didnt adopt measure to reduce their usage/increase their efficiency at the end user, possibly because they have deregulated/privatised the whole grid/supply. I beleive they have and utilise a huge wind resource and have been doing so back since? the late 70s, maybe the early 80s, its likely those wind generators have been replaced many times, but they arent 100% garaunteed to produce when there is demand, solar PV would seem to be a huge resource, but that is a massive urban area, they will need to meet a certain base load, which they must not be capable of at peak demand.

    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Air con units all on drawing huge amounts of current....
    Not enough measures in place and no back up options.
    Remember seeing many go to shops, pools for the day as no a/c at home....


    Insulation/airtightness, that would reduce the influence of high heat on living spaces.


  • Options
    #137
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,336 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    Can someone please tell me why Eamon Ryan and the Greens is to blame for this and that this is why rural Ireland hates them?
    FG brought this in, and carbon taxes.

    I wonder who rural Ireland will blame for environmental measures when there are no Greens in the next government? Because these policies are not going to go away, so it will be interesting to see how you vote when all parties have green policies in their manifestos.

    FG/FF have rural TDs and rely on them for votes so wouldn't support an outright ban on turf cutting.

    The same can't be said for Ryan and his sidekick Catherine Martin sitting in their posh Dublin neighbourhoods.

    Ryan hasn't a clue about life outside Dublin.


  • Options
    #138
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,885 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    FG/FF have rural TDs and rely on them for votes so wouldn't support an outright ban on turf cutting.

    The same can't be said for Ryan and his sidekick Catherine Martin sitting in their posh Dublin neighbourhoods.

    Ryan hasn't a clue about life outside Dublin.

    But the Greens weren't in power when we introduced carbon taxes and the phasing out of peat.
    How is that the Greens fault?

    Just looked it up - the Greens didn't have any seats when the Paris Agreement was signed by the Irish Government (The 31st Dail). That brought in Carbon Taxes for rural Ireland to get in line with this agreement.

    How can you blame the Greens on that?


  • Options
    #139
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,601 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    FG/FF have rural TDs and rely on them for votes so wouldn't support an outright ban on turf cutting.

    The same can't be said for Ryan and his sidekick Catherine Martin sitting in their posh Dublin neighbourhoods.

    Ryan hasn't a clue about life outside Dublin.


    We always hear about these evil city politicians who dont care abut the good honest rural people but the same applies the other way around.


    Do rural TDs or people give a toss about problems in the cities. Why would city TDs be expected to have a clue about life on a farm any more than the rural TDs would life in the city


  • Options
    #140
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,293 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    Mimon wrote: »
    Thick people acting thick.

    I saw the piece. It was ridiculous.

    However those people weren't rushing out to buy anything. They were just going about their regular business and some idiot from RTE was there.


  • Options
    #141
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,885 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    breezy1985 wrote: »
    We always hear about these evil city politicians who dont care abut the good honest rural people but the same applies the other way around.


    Do rural TDs or people give a toss about problems in the cities. Why would city TDs be expected to have a clue about life on a farm any more than the rural TDs would life in the city

    Pippa Hackett is a Green Party Senator and farmer.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #142
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,336 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    But the Greens weren't in power when we introduced carbon taxes and the phasing out of peat.
    How is that the Greens fault?

    I'm well aware who was in power, the point I'm making is the other parties have TDs living in rural areas and its in their best interests if they want to get re elected to support the turfcutters.

    Greens won't do that and want to bring even tougher measures than what was signed up to in 2016


  • Options
    #143
    1874
    Registered Users Posts: 2,382 ✭✭✭1874


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    FG/FF have rural TDs and rely on them for votes so wouldn't support an outright ban on turf cutting.

    The same can't be said for Ryan and his sidekick Catherine Martin sitting in their posh Dublin neighbourhoods.

    Ryan hasn't a clue about life outside Dublin.


    We dont all live in la la land
    well intentioned idiot maybe,


  • Options
    #144
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,336 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    breezy1985 wrote: »
    We always hear about these evil city politicians who dont care abut the good honest rural people but the same applies the other way around.


    Do rural TDs or people give a toss about problems in the cities. Why would city TDs be expected to have a clue about life on a farm any more than the rural TDs would life in the city

    Ryan and Martin are Government Ministers, its their job to know but both of them are thick as 2 short planks about life outside the M50


  • Options
    #145
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,885 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    1874 wrote: »
    We dont all live in la la land
    well intentioned idiot maybe,

    63% of Ireland's population is urban, so most of us do live in la la land, or towers in Sandymount.


  • Options
    #146
    NIMAN
    Registered Users Posts: 33,133 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    lawred2 wrote: »
    I saw the piece. It was ridiculous.

    However those people weren't rushing out to buy anything. They were just going about their regular business and some idiot from RTE was there.

    I think the guy specifically said people were loading up on them, and even mentioned that some people wanted to buy a pallet of them, but couldn't be accommodated.

    If it was just people buying normally, then the piece was presented more in a 'panic buying' way by RTE.


  • Options
    #147
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,885 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    Ryan and Martin are Government Ministers, its their job to know but both of them are thick as 2 short planks about life outside the M50

    Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wicklow have Green TDs. They're all out to get you too, not just us in D4.


  • Options
    #148
    joebloggs32
    Registered Users Posts: 1,596 ✭✭✭joebloggs32


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    Pippa Hackett is a Green Party Senator and farmer.

    Somone who ran for the Dail but was rejected in her rural constituency.

    She got chosen by her urban buddies to be a senator.

    And in good old fashioned politics, handed over her county council seat to her husband.

    So now we have a hand picked senator, who was also bumped up to being a super junior minister ahead of countless other TDs elected by the ordinary peole in an election, along with a hand picked county councillor in the Hackett household....all in the space of two years.

    Francis and Claire underwood must be mighty impressed.


  • Options
    #149
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,336 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wicklow have Green TDs. They're all out to get you too, not just us in D4.

    So you are a D4 head, you'd have a lot in common with them so.

    Doesn't take away from what I said though, both Gov Ministers so its their job to be aware of whats going on and peoples concerns nationwide.

    Sure Ryan wanted to fill the place with wolves.


  • Options
    #150
    1874
    Registered Users Posts: 2,382 ✭✭✭1874


    breezy1985 wrote: »
    We always hear about these evil city politicians who dont care abut the good honest rural people but the same applies the other way around.


    Do rural TDs or people give a toss about problems in the cities. Why would city TDs be expected to have a clue about life on a farm any more than the rural TDs would life in the city




    Politicians must love when people turn on each other, surely everyone can come to agreement, most politicians are self serving and are happy when they can stay on the gravy train, many are out and out gombeens, some arent, they do need the support of their locals to get elected.

    But national planning shouldnt be decided or interfered with by politicans dealing with local issues (be it certain schools getting favourable treatment, hospitals, roads or basically much at all).
    In fact Id say most politicans know very little about what they need to know, we need experts dealing with National strategic planning, not morons concerned about what Mary or Joe down the road from them thinks either in an Urban area or Rural areas.



    I'm not sure what system is better (I think something exists, maybe we need to look to how the Danes or Germans or Dutch do things and then cherrypick the best parts). Local politicians (councillors) should deal with local issues BUT still have to follow some kind of national policy, national level politicans should not be steered by local issues, just seems to undermine everyone and leave things open to corruption or being watered down.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #151
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,497 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    The greens are their own worst enemy. They have a poor way with people and come across as talking down to everyone instead of conversing with anyone.
    They are lead by a weak leader with no wider appeal. Was photographed sleeping again during the mother’s and babies debacle.

    Even Hackett, the look we have a farmer, member isn’t well gotten among farmers. Some of the stuff she says is silly and the recently forestry bull she put her name to is shameful taking away the right to appeal by charging extortion money for your rights. I saw her in an interview say “if we can go organic then anyone can”, what a stupid satetment. Massive farm built up via non organic means and massive direct payments. Located in the most fertile region in the country with short winters. Maybe stick her on a small west Cavan farm and see how everyone can’t do it. It’s this sort of dis jointed talk that ruined the green movement in Ireland.

    I’d love to be a Green Party follower, but what we have here isn’t a Green Party. It’s an M50 greenwashing brigade who haven’t a clue. Their current actions in government will assign them to a decade in the sidelines, just like their last time in government


Advertisement