In September I attended the conference Power to the Peatlands in Antwerp and learned lots of things about the ongoing efforts to save or restore peatlands, not just as ecosystems but also as carbon storage that has a major impact on climate change. What I love most about this topic is how our idea what progress means has turned by 180 degrees in just a few decades - until around 1970 draining the swamps was considered a good idea (which today mainly survives in political metaphor), whereas now progress is all about rewetting the landscapes we once drained.
Now I've rounded up everything from the cultural history to current climate efforts in my latest feature which is out now:
Powerful peatlands
Current Biology Volume 33, Issue 21, 6. November 2023, Pages R1127-R1129
Restricted access to full text and PDF download
(will become open access one year after publication)
Magic link for free access
(first seven weeks only)
See also my Mastodon thread where I will highlight all this year's CB features.
Population pressure and generous investments made the Netherlands a pioneer in draining wetlands to create new land for agriculture. The iconic windmills now admired by tourists often served as pumps to remove water from low-lying areas. (Photo: R Boed/Flickr (CC BY 2.0 DEED).)
PS back in the noughties, I read various sources about wetlands drainage programmes in 17th century France for family history reasons, because Octavio Strada Junior, grand-son of Jacopo Strada, was involved with them and made quite a success of it. His well-documented descendants include French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing. A firm connection to my Strada ancestors remains to be found though.
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