The non-fiction book took a broad perspective on peatland within it also critically examined agriculture on drained peatlands and the EU subsidies in relation to climate impact costs.
In it, Furtak (who is also one of the journalists behind this cross-border project) and Joosten explain what peatlands are, how they function, and what happens when they’re destroyed. The book answers practical questions—like why bodies are preserved in peat—and also discusses the ecological role of peatlands as carbon stores. By combining scientific insight with field reporting, the book and investigation together offer a clearer understanding of how wetlands are disappearing—and why that matters.
The Wasted Wetlands investigation focused on peatland loss in Ireland, Germany, and Italy. It revealed how semi-state bodies in Ireland continue draining bogs for forestry and wind farms; how political lobbying in Germany slows restoration efforts; and how in Italy, poor data and weak enforcement leave wetland areas exposed to uncontrolled tourism and pollution.
Image (c) Katapult Verlag
