IMPACT ON THE GREENHOUSE-EFFECT OF PEAT MINING AND COMBUSTION

Combustion of peat leads to emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the at mosphere. In addition, mining of the peat alters the environment such that the natural fluxes of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are modified . Of particular interest is a reduction in the emission of methane (CH 4) in the drained parts of the mires. We estimate the total impact on the greenhouse effect of these processes. The results indicate that th e decreased emission of methane from the drained mires compensates for about 15% of the CO2 emission during the combustion of the peat. It f ollows that, in a time perspective of less than several hundred years, peat is comparable to a fossil fuel, as far as the contribution to th e greenhouse effect is concerned.