Finland and Poland are considering restoring peat wetlands along their Russian borders, a defense against possible invasion which has the added benefit of being a carbon sink.
Eastern European states have bolstered security since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Finland building a wall and Poland adding minefields. But peat bogs can do the same job: In 2022, Ukraine blew up a dam to flood a marsh plain, rendering it impassable to Russian armor. Most such bogs have been drained for cropland, and several European governments are wondering whether to revive them, Politico reported.
Peat bogs cover just 3% of the planet but hold a third of its carbon, and are conveniently concentrated around NATO’s borders with Russia and Belarus.