Big Questions About Our Brighter Future

We received some great questions from readers about articles in our October issue. Drop us a line any time at editor@carolinacountry.com if you want to learn more about a topic.

Q:Great idea growing food with less land and water (“From Box to Bowl,”), but the article does not include the electricity costs of this endeavor. Why?

A:The type of container farm being used is designed to power different systems like lighting, pumps, fans and environmental controls on one of three modes: eco, standard and performance. Spanning these modes, power use could range from 151–350 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day, according to Freight Farms. There are a lot of variables that can affect that, so James Sprunt Community College is working with Four County EMC and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives to monitor the farm’s energy use throughout its first year of operations.

“During this first year, we’re gathering data and working to understand how we can optimize the farm and maximize energy efficiency,” explains Kara Gravinese, innovation and business development analyst for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “From an electricity standpoint, we anticipate the Freight Farm to have a greater energy intensity per acre than traditional farming. Conversely, we expect significant savings on water, diesel fuel, pesticides and fertilizer. It’ll be valuable to see how hydroponic crop production compares over time and demonstrate if it can be a cost-effective method of farming for our members.”

Spent fuel casks are designed for long-term storage above ground.

Q:You say nuclear power is safe (“Safe, Steady and Emissions-Free,”). What do you do with the waste?

A:At the Catawba Nuclear Station, used fuel rods are cooled in large pools for an average of 10 years before being transferred to 18-foot tall, long-term storage canisters, designed to keep fuel safe without power or moving parts. Catawba came online in 1985, and all fuel used since then is still onsite.

The volume of waste generated by nuclear plants is remarkably small: If all the electricity an individual used for 70 years was generated at nuclear facilities, the used fuel from that power would be about the size of a hockey puck.