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From allsorts@gn.apc.org Thu Jul 19 21:00:44 2001
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 13:55:00 +0100
From: ALLSORTS (allsorts@gn.apc.org)
To: rts@gn.apc.org
Subject: -ALLSORTS-news mix July 19th - part 3

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Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001
From: jim thackerey (jimthackery@yahoo.co.uk)

Hatfield Moor Action against Scott Peat Works (near Doncaster, Yorkshire)

On Tuesday 26th June the peat works on Hatfield Moor near Doncaster, run by the US company Scotts, were occupied for the day by activists from across the country. The company must have known about the barely publicised event, as no work was being carried out on the site and there was a heavy police presence, including a helicopter all day.

Despite this presence, and due to the huge size of the site, activists were able to wander round the site all day. This action is extremely significant, because peat mining is a seasonal activity, so if work is stopped during the summer (peat needs to be dry to be harvested) it sets their targets back quite a bit. If Scotts cut as much peat this season as they plan to, it will not be possible to regenerate the area as a peat moor. In fact, it is likely that there will be no peat left at all within three years if they carry on at their current rate.

You can easily see how beautiful the site could be, when you see the surrounding area, which supports a great diversity of wildlife (apparently 5000 species) from darting dragonflies to beautiful cotton grasses. We even noticed a birds nest in the heavily worked drainage channels on the site.

While wandering the site it was easy to see that the peat pixies had been busy tying to save their homelands. Drainage channels appeared to have been filled in while others had dams blocking them. Rumours abound of feistier pixies getting to the machinery and workings of the site, but I cannot confirm this at all.

I can confirm that everyone left the site and no arrests were made, although a few drivers were given producers and some people were searched.

Please ask your local garden centre to stop selling compost which contains peat, as they are destroying a beautiful and irreparable habitat to get it. Unless it is labelled 'peat-free' it will almost certainly contain part of Hatfield Moor. What's more leaf-mould actually works better than peat in compost for rooting properties (this is why peat is used as it has no nutritional value for plants). Leaf mould is made by piling up autumnal leaf fall and turning it occasionally. In a year's time you will have the perfect substance to mix with compost from your veg waste to make a potting mixture.

This senseless madness and destruction must stop.

More info from  leedsef@ukf.net

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