Water, Carbon, Time: Exploring Peatlands in a Warming World with Jennifer de Mooy (U Minnesota Press, 2026)
New Books NetworkShow Notes
Water, Carbon, Time: Exploring Peatlands in a Warming World was published by University of Minnesota Press in 2026. Water, Carbon, Time is the story of Jennifer’s personal discovery of an overlooked natural wonder: peatlands. These murky ecosystems formed of decay are both full of life and crucial to our planetary wellbeing: covering only about three percent of the earth's surface, peatlands store more carbon than all the world's forests combined. In Water, Carbon, Time, Jennifer de Mooy shares her personal discovery of these natural wonders in all their variety and understated beauty, bringing much-needed attention to the restorative possibilities of their spongy depths. De Mooy first encountered peatlands on a trip to Ireland with her father, but her later work on climate change policy in the United States motivated her to investigate options for reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Her interest was practical: could peatlands combat global warming? To deepen her understanding of these unique wetlands, she embarked on a quest from bogs and fens in Minnesota and Maine to bofedales in Peru and muskegs in Canada and Alaska. A vivid account of her journey, Water, Carbon, Time describes these peatlands in all their richness and mystery: what they are and how to find them, the diversity of ecological life they support, and how their hidden systems promote climate resilience. As she learns more about the importance of peatlands, de Mooy emphasizes all we lose when they are damaged by drainage, fire, and the broader sweep of climate change. When peatlands are threatened, we risk releasing stored carbon from their soil, where it has accumulated over millennia, into the atmosphere. In parts a travelogue, an ecological history, and a call to action, Water, Carbon, Time demonstrates there is still hope for these precious ecosystems and their potential as a natural climate solution right beneath our feet. Water, Carbon, Time is a story of exploration, awareness, and hope that will leave readers wanting to get outside.
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