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Wind Farms UK - Ugly monstrosities or things of beauty?

Your task

You have been asked by your editor to create three-five minute news item on a controversy over wind energy that is raging across the UK.

You will have to research different points of view:

  • An environmental pressure group pro renewable energy;
  • A protest group against a wind farm development;
  • Experts who are pro;
  • Experts who are anti;

You will need to feature one or two case studies because you don’t have a budget to visit more than two locations.

The research phase

Here are several web sites – decide whether they are for or against wind farms. If they argue both ways then they are attempting to be balanced. You will need to select and copy:

  • quotations from the website that illustrate their arguments;
  • any data that is used as evidence;
  • any interesting images or maps that might back their arguments;

An interest group from Rimside Moor, Northumberland

www.wind-farms.co.uk/

For, Against or Balanced

Type of interest group

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

   

Local BBC News report from Norfolk

www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/news/042001/05/wind2.shtml

   

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

The British Wind Energy Association

www.bwea.com/index.html

   

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

Country Guardian

www.countryguardian.net/case.htm

   

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

A report from The Guardian

www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,605968,00.html

   

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

Skye Windfarm Action Group SWAG

www.sw-ag.org/

   

What do they argue?

Why they argue as they do

Locate one more against wind energy

   

Why they feel as they do

Locate one more website for wind energy

   

Why they feel as they do

The creative phase

Now produce your storyboard to present to the editor. You can use a two column table in word or Powerpoint [including the notes pages] There are some ideas below.

Your opening shots should be:

  • be eye catching;
  • be thought provoking;
  • summarize arguments for and against;

Your second part should:

  • locate the case study in the UK
  • Interest group pro should describe advantages,
  • Interest group against should describe disadvantages and evidence of impacts;

You might encourage the interest groups to use:

  • Images to make people sit up;
  • Data that people can relate to;
  • Quotations that make the case;
  • Maps to show scale, proximity etc;

Your final part should:

  • Say what happens next;
  • Pose questions about the future;

The presentation phase

You should refine your storyboard with another student and prepare it for final presentation.