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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/geothermal-greenhouses-sustainable-food-climate-change/>
"Just over an hour’s drive from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík, the
greenhouses of Friðheimar farm emit a warm glow that cuts through the dark,
cold landscape of a sub-arctic winter. Inside the greenhouses, rows of bright
red, juicy tomatoes await their harvest, all thanks to water drawn from a
nearby geothermal well that is keeping 2,000 square feet of plants in constant,
life-sustaining warmth.
It’s the success of Iceland’s geothermal greenhouses such as at Friðheimar that
has inspired the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) of southern Labrador to
now start thinking about geothermal greenhouses for their communities.
Part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, here frost can
arrive by late September and linger until May. The short growing season has
traditionally meant that communities have had no choice but to rely on fresh
produce transported into them by truck and ferry. These supply chains are
vulnerable to climate shocks such as severe flooding and winter storms that can
leave roads impassable for days.
“Some of our communities have greenhouses, but they’re very tiny,” says Krista
Oxford, acting director and manager of the Department of Energy for the NCC,
the representative governing body for approximately 6,000 Inuit in south and
central Labrador. Those greenhouses that do exist rely on diesel fuel for
heating.
Conventional greenhouses use fossil fuels such as diesel to regulate
temperature. Because of this, they have earned a reputation as one of the most
energy-intensive and costly methods of cultivation. Approximately 65 to 85
percent of the total energy consumed in a greenhouse is used for heating. This
is expensive, especially in northern latitudes and extreme climates, where it
can account for up to 70 to 85 percent of the total operation cost.
“Diesel use is still a reality for so many remote communities,” says Joe
Collier, project manager for the nonprofit Net Zero Atlantic, a team of
scientists and researchers that is currently helping the NCC determine the
feasibility of using geothermal energy in southern Labrador. Even when compared
to natural gas use in a greenhouse, geothermal uses about one-fifth of the
amount of fossil fuels, resulting in about 83 percent less in carbon or
greenhouse gas emissions, according to Collier."
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
