Scottish Greens in Dumfries & Galloway are fighting plans to extend peat extraction for 5 years at Nutberry Moss near Eastriggs.
Having seen the success of the Green campaign to prevent a ten-year licence extension at Lochwood Moss near Beattock – where planning was refused – the owners of Nutberry Moss (Everiss) have reduced their initial request for a ten-year extension.
Local environmentalists insist that even a single day of additional extraction harms our climate by contributing to increased emissions. According to soil scientists, over five years of further extraction this site will emit nearly 5,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent gases. This simply can’t continue at a time of rapidly accelerating climate breakdown.
Laura Moodie, Scottish Green candidate for Holyrood 2021, said: “The Scottish Greens call on on Dumfries & Galloway Council to stand by their ambitious climate action plans and refuse this application. If the licence is not extended, and the promised rewetting of this precious habitat begins on schedule, just 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases will be emitted over the same time period. That’s like taking 1,000 cars off the road, or the annual emissions of 840 people.”
Anyone wishing to object to the plans can do so via the Council’s planning portal or visiting: www.greens.scot/stop-peat-extraction
