There are few peat bogs in the St. Lawrence lowlands, but many on the Manseau—Saint-Gilles plain and in the area to the north. They make up 40% of the wetlands we have in the Centre-du-Québec region. Peat bogs consist of a large layer of peat at least 30 cm thick. Peat is plant matter. It therefore consists of carbon, and, as is the case with all plant matter, when it dries and water leaves the peat, carbon is released into the atmosphere via chemical processes. That carbon, either carbon dioxide or methane, which is four times more dangerous than carbon dioxide, will be released into the atmosphere and will cause the kinds of climate change with which we are familiar. That is a little-known fact. However, many studies have noted this principle, but few have been conducted to monitor or confirm how much peat bog loss is due to climate change. Climate change results in extended periods of drought, and when rain falls, it falls very heavily and does not necessarily soak through the peat because it is too dense. So we have considerable losses in the peat bogs, which are carbon sinks to which we must pay attention. They are little climate change bombs.
Development of the cranberry industry has also put significant pressure on the peat bogs in the Centre-du-Québec region. The system is currently slowing down because cranberry prices are falling. Producers are not operating at a profit and are therefore not developing. However, there has been a significant increase in the destruction of peat bogs in recent years as a result of the introduction of cranberry fields. The establishment of a cranberry field results in the total and irreversible destruction of a peat bog. On the other hand, another type of economic development is possible, and there are other ways to profit from peat bogs: peat extraction and the operation of interpretation trails in peat bogs. It takes about 10 years for a peat bog to return to its original state. There are a lot of other processes.
In Ontario, we have a wetlands centre specializing in wetlands restoration, in particular. We have very highly developed Canadian expertise in this area. We must take advantage of that expertise in research, restoration and thus the restoration of wetland areas.