Climate Cheesecake — S1.3 For Peats Sake’ (On Peat Swamps)
Breaking down heavy climate topics - just like cheesecake! Climate Cheesecake is hosted by @theweirdandwild @ohletsfly @sankarology @movinn
About Episode
Not too long ago, we tuned into Climate Cheesecake’s podcast episode ‘S1.3 For Peats Sake’ to learn more about what forest fires have to do with peat…
We learnt that “when a peat swamp is on fire, the land is on fire.” — Climate Cheesecake
Did you know that we also have peat swamps in Singapore and Malaysia too? We have one right here in Nee Soon!
But hold up, what is peat?
Peat swamps are areas where dead plant material have accumulated over a loooong period of time, and where saturated soils or frequent flooding prevent these organic material from fully decomposing.. The thick spongy layers of material results in an anaerobic and acidic environment, home to few but unique biodiversity.
There used to be more peat swamp forests in our region, but many have been cleared over the years because they are perceived to have lower biodiversity and are often chosen for burning instead of other more biodiverse forests. This means that when land is needed for agriculture or development, peat swamp forests are frequently targeted.
Doing so however leads to dire consequences that contribute to the climate crisis — such as the loss of biodiversity and unique ecosystems, the loss of an important carbon sink and, haze, to name a few. While we know that the seasonal haze we face here in Singapore is related to oil palm plantations, much of it also comes from the burning of peat swamp forests in our region.
Furthermore, when peat swamps are burned, fires can smolder underground for long periods and reemerge in different locations, making them difficult to control, and causing widespread environmental damage.
Want to dig a little deeper? Listen in on Climate Cheesecake’s episode ‘S1.3 For Peats Sake’ below.
About Climate Cheesecake
Climate change is depressing, and it's honestly a lot to take in. What do global climate declarations and supply chain disruptions actually mean to the average person on the ground? At Climate Cheesecake, the team tries to break down these global, regional and local happenings into more manageable slices - so it's not so overwhelming as they say “not so jelat lah”…
Climate Cheesecake is brought to you by the Cheesecake Collective, and powered by Artwave Studio.