WIND FARMS
Friend or Foe?
(write this title in book)
Copy out questions and answers
Go to page 78 of Earthworks and find out
Wind Turbine
Wind Farm
Renewable
Energy
Carbon dioxide
Global Warming
Megawatts
Questions
1. How windy is Britain?
Which parts of Britain are the windiest?(see map)
2.What type of energy is wind power?
3.When was Britain’s First Wind farm built?
4.What is a good place to put a wind farm?
(hint p 78 Earthworks)
(copy)
We need special things for a wind farm. These are
Things needed
Because
Here are some facts against wind farms.
1. 3 wind turbines make electricity in 1 year that a normal power
station makes in 2 HOURS
2.Some turbines need a hole the size of 3 double-decker buses
3.flickering
4.The noise of whooshing, whistling and humming, can clearly be
heard 1000 yards away.
TASK 1
1. Copy The Case against Wind Farms in book
2. Copy out each of the 4 facts against wind farms and
then at the end say why people think they are not a
good idea. (the first one is done for you …copy and
then do the other three yourself)
e.g. 3 wind turbines make electricity in 1 year that a normal power
station makes in 2 HOURS. This is not a good idea because
you need lots of wind farms for little energy.
3. There are good reasons for having wind farms. Draw
a table as below. You should think up at least three
reasons
Good reasons for wind
Why
power
1 ………………………………………. because………………………………………………..
2 ……………………………………. because……………………………………………..
3……………………………………….. because……………………………………………….
(This website may help
http://www.yes2wind.com/)
4.Who do you think is right?
NOW
Read the following
A. WIND POWER IN IRELAND
Standing on Culliagh, with a panoramic view of the Blue
Stack Mountains , these towering, majestic windmills are
great!. Like white birds, the whoosh whoosh of their
turbines makes it seems very modern..
A. WIND POWER IN SCOTLAND
Welcome to the SKYE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP
(SKYE is an Island on the West side of Scotland)
... an action group for local people
We are shocked and horrified at recent news that Skye's
hillsides are to be filled with 28 wind turbines, each three
hundred and thirty feet high.
We believe that beauty and way of life will be stolen . We
want to tell the world about this! It could affect nature and
tourism.
Task 2:
Make a PRESS RELEASE for the above. A press release is
what you want the local papers to know. What would you
give?
Press Release Irish Wind farms
Press Release SKYE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP
You can include sketches/diagrams to help.
You should also write two letters against these press
releases:
a. A letter from an Irish person against Irish Wind
farms
b. A letter from someone who lives on the Isle of Skye
who wants wind farms.
DO ACTIVITY 1, 2 3 Page 79
Task 3
WILL WE ALLOW A WIND FARM? Title book
Background
A company SWISH (Staffordshire’s Wind In Stone’s
Heart)has applied to build a wind turbine close to the
Village of Oulton.
It will get £1 million from the government to build them.
The government wants to make more renewal energy so
that less fossil fuels are used. They are worried about
carbon dioxide emissions and its effect on global warming.
Wind power does not give off any gases!
Not everyone is happy and a pressure group called SAWE
(Stone Against Wind farm Eyesores) wants it stopped.
1. In your own words explain why someone would want to
set up a wind farm in Oulton
2. Why would the government want to give it money?
3. Why are some people against it?
This is the proposal
A wind farm at Oulton ?
A
Height over 195
metres
Proposed Wind
Turbine
B
Alleyne’s
High
School
D
C
4. Describe the place where they are going to put the wind
turbine
5. Why do you think SWISH chose this site?
TASK 4
People’s Views
There are 4 families who live in this area who have opinions
on this. They are labelled as living at A, B, C, and D
They were asked to answer a questionnaire on the siting of
the new wind turbine. Here are their replies:
Comment 1
I think it’s a good idea. We need to stop using too many
fossil fuels which can cause global warming. We are trying
to save energy using water power from the nearby Scotch
Brook. We have no objections
Comment 2
It’s a disgrace. The noise will keep us up. It so close to our
house it will lower the price if we want to sell. Go Away!
Comment 3
It’s a quiet village. I think it will ruin the view of the hill.
Nobody wants to see a big turbine towering over the
village. They say it’s good for the environment…not here!
Comment 4
We can’t see it and so it does not bother me. We don’t live
in the village anyway. We have also been told that it might
bring down the price of electricity. There are also going to
be a few jobs created in the area. I might even go for one
as I am a skilled construction worker
Write in your books
Match the Comments above with the letters A, B, C, D. You
will need to give a full reason why you chose the comment.
Here’s what to do
I matched comment 1 with letter……. Because
I matched comment 2 with letter……. Because
I matched comment 3 with letter……. Because
I matched comment 4 with letter……. Because
Activity 5
Writing for a Newspaper
The Stone Newsletter has picked up on the story.
It is going to the front page story.
You should now write a story to go with this topic.
On the next page there is a sketch of the site (without the
wind turbine). You could use this and draw on what the
turbines should look like.
You can also report on a public meeting held at Oulton
village Hall (see sheet)
Task 6
The Government wants us to use more renewable energy.
Should we have more than 10% of Britain's energy from
renewable resources?
Should we stick too coal?
Produce a chart which puts forward the different points of
view. It could have in the middle COAL or WIND ?
Come up with YOUR CHOICE. Sketches,words,graphs can
be used.
What do you think about wind power are you for or
against?
Extension
Write a story about this photograph. Label some of
the issues raised. One has been done for you. WIND
POWER FRIEND OR FOE?
What do you think the people in this house think about
Wind Power?
I can’t sleep
for the
noise!!