David Johndrow: Sobering sun facts

I was fascinated by the Dec. 15 news article “Woodland gets mocked online after solar attacks.” Ridiculous claims against solar energy remind me of the hysteria before the first atom was split – the end of the universe!

I wish that folks who are interested in preserving our agricultural heritage would quit chasing after flamboyant stories and confront reality.

By the end of 2013, of the 34 million acres that comprise our state, solar farms accounted for just over 2,300 acres. North Carolina loses that much forest or farmland, on average, in just seven days. That is a sobering fact that makes N.C. State crop science professor Ron Heiniger’s “call-to-arms” sound downright silly.

Do we really expect shopping malls and suburban housing to return to agricultural use?

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "David Johndrow: Sobering sun facts."