You’d think an organization that supports environmental causes would enthusiastically throw its support behind an innovative project that will generate clean, renewable energy. But you’d be wrong.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) recently wrote an article in The News & Observer attacking a proposed renewable natural gas project involving dozens of hog farms in rural North Carolina. These activists who oppose animal agriculture simply cannot bring themselves to support anything that benefits our family farmers — regardless of the environmental and economic benefits.
They ignore the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They forget about the jobs and economic impact the project will bring to our rural communities. And they disregard the opportunity for North Carolina to establish itself as a national leader in clean energy.
The Align RNG project, a partnership between Smithfield Foods and Dominion Energy, will cover lagoons, capture methane, and convert it into renewable energy. This is the type of innovation and advancement that our farmers have always made through the years.
Those who care about our environment should embrace projects like this. But groups like SELC are attempting to turn this into a referendum on the lagoon and sprayfield system rather than accepting it for what it is — a responsible step toward a cleaner energy future.
Their rationale for opposing the project does not make any sense. In fact, SELC recently praised Smithfield’s approach to manure management in Missouri, where farmers have made capturing biogas and generating renewable energy a core part of the process – a process almost identical to our own. Except due to colder temperatures, Missouri farms will only be able to produce biogas eight months out of the year, versus year-round here, making their system less efficient than ours.
North Carolina can be a leader in clean energy. Those who want to protect our environment should focus on the meaningful impact this project will have on our environment and the people of eastern North Carolina and leave ulterior motives out of it.
