The upland moors of the south Pennines have suffered some of the worst ecological degradation of any extensive habitat in the UK. This is due primarily to a history of industrial pollution from the neighbouring towns during the industrial revolution made worse by wild fires and erosion. Work to restore this habitat has been underway for 20 years (2020) and while progress has been made there is more to do to restore the habitat to a sustainable fully functioning ecosystem. The significance of the habitat degradation is compounded by being a major source of atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change through global warming.