We do not support the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank Dogger Bank is a shallow area of the North Sea which is an important breeding and feeding ground for fish in the area. Many different species live there and it is also an important place for fishing boats who supply the supermarkets and restaurants in the UK. If this wind farm goes ahead then we will not be allowed to fish in that area as the nets might damage the turbines. If this happens then most of the fishermen along the North Sea coast will be out of a job. This will create massive unemployment in some local communities and this can lead to crime and health problems. Fisherma n
Transcript
We do not support the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank
Dogger Bank is a shallow area of the North Sea which is an important breeding and feeding ground for fish in the area. Many different species live there and it is also an important place for fishing boats who supply the supermarkets and restaurants in the UK.
If this wind farm goes ahead then we will not be allowed to fish in that area as the nets might damage the turbines. If this happens then most of the fishermen along the North Sea coast will be out of a job. This will create massive unemployment in some local communities and this can lead to crime and health problems.
Over 230 species of fish live in the North Sea – Cod, Haddock, Mackerel, Herring are common and commercial fishing is big business.
Lobster, Prawns, muscles and Oysters are also available and can fetch good money but only if the conditions are right.
If we cannot fish this area of the North Sea, you will face a shortage of sea food and we might lose our jobs
Fisherman
We support the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank as they will be good for our environment
Global warming is caused by too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Much of the carbon dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels in power stations to make electricity.
To reduce the impact of global warming, electricity needs to be made from something other than fossil fuels and wind turbines can provide that.
Nothing is burnt and natural wind power is used to power the wind turbines, so once the wind turbine has been put up the electricity is produced without harming the atmosphere
Global warming will cause some species like the polar bear to become extinct; it will cause more flooding because of rising sea levels and increased rainfall. This will lead to some low lying areas and countries having to be evacuated. It will also lead to an increase in desertification and food shortages. If we don’t tackle climate change we will all have to deal with the consequences.
Greenspace
(Similar group to research)
We do not support the wind turbines at Dogger Bank as it will affect the Whales and Dolphins.
WDCS is the leading charity dedicated to defending whales and dolphins from the threats that they face. We are the World voice for the protection of these animals
We are concerned about how the wind farm will affect the sea life in the area. We do not believe it has been studied correctly so we are against this development. Offshore wind farms have the potential to make a large contribution to renewable energy production. As a relatively new area of development, there is a lack of detailed information concerning potential impacts on marine life, including whales and Dolphins. Most of the disturbance will come from ships and the noise of building the wind turbines which will interrupt communications between the animals.
Whale and Dolphin Preservation Group
Marine Preserv
ation Group
(Similar group to research)
We think the wind turbines at Dogger bank are a good idea, as once they are built they provide habitats for wildlife.Offshore turbines in Denmark are sunk deep into the seabed and surrounded by a large pile of stones, which prevents the sea currents eroding deep trenches in the sand around the turbines. A study suggests that these stone structures also act as artificial reefs, providing enhanced conditions for fish, with an abundant supply of food and shelter from the current, and attracts fish which like a rocky sea bottom. As such, the turbines have created habitats for a number of new species in the area.The study is the first to examine the effects of offshore wind farms on fish life. Since the offshore wind turbines were built in Danish waters, the area has been closed to all fishing activities. As a result, the park has become a kind of mini protected area, this means that fish are slowly increasing and the sea bed is becoming a rich habitat again.
Drax are against the Dogger Bank Wind turbines. They are competition for Drax power
station and they are not as affective so 4800 wind turbines would be required to make as much as Drax power. Drax power is also reliable and can make power at all times, not just when the wind is blowing.
Drax employs 560 people directly and many other local businesses benefit from the power station, these jobs would be lost if Drax wasn’t operating.
Drax get through 36,000 tonnes of coal a day. This is because we produce so much electricity which is used up by all the popular electrical devices.
Drax is fully aware that it is the largest producer of carbon emissions (greenhouse gasses) but they have spent a lot of time and money making sure that it is one of the most carbon dioxide efficient – This means that although they are creating a lot of carbon dioxide it is a small amount compared to the amount of coal they have burnt.
Acid rain
victim
We would support a wind farm on Dogger Bank as it would reduce acid rain and help keep our environment clean.
Acid rain has made my hair green; given me stomach upsets and made my asthma worse. All because it gets into the water supply when it rains and reacts with the copper in my water pipes. It is also killing off the trees and fish which is putting people out of a job who work in forestry and fisheries.
The acid rain comes from the pollution that is released from power stations when fossil fuels are burnt. These mix with water droplets in the atmosphere and create clouds of slightly acidic rain which are then blown across Europe. So the countries which burn fossil fuels on a large scale often end up polluting other countries like us in Sweden.
.
Taxpayers’
Together
We think that the wind turbines at Dogger Bank are too expensive. They are so far out that it would cost a lot to move all the equipment out to the site and to build them on the sea bed is difficult and more expensive than building them on land.
We represent all the people who pay tax and we want to make sure that it is used in an appropriate way. Our tax is used to fund schools, hospitals, the police force, transport and many other things.
The Dogger Bank wind farm requires a lot of money from the government to help it go ahead and be constructed. We believe that the money being spent on it is a waste and in these times where many people are out of work and businesses are closing then the money could be spent in a much better way to help more people.
The government has spent £400 million of the money that we have given them on wind farms. We believe this money could be spent on far more worthy causes.
The Government
We think that the Dogger Bank wind turbine site is an excellent idea.
We have agreed to produce 20% of our electricity from renewable resources by 2020. We made this agreement with many other countries to help reduce the impacts of global warming. If we are going to achieve this we need to use more renewable energy on a large scale.
As people don’t like wind turbines near their houses, if we put them out a sea where there is room and uninterrupted winds they will be effective, on a large scale and people’s views will not be ruined.
To protect our country from the effects of global warming and to fulfil our legal obligations to other countries and for the good of the whole world we HAVE to have more wind turbines.
In the future when fossil fuels are too expensive or running out we need to be able to create enough electricity for our country or we will have electricity blackouts, so by investing in the offshore wind turbines now we will be prepared for the future.
Industrial
energy users
We need an energy source which reliable and can produce energy on a large scale. Coal fired power stations can produce energy constantly as they are not relying on the changeable weather. Solar power, wind power and hydro- electric power are not constantly reliable as the conditions can change and if the wind isn’t blowing no electricity will be made.
If there are electricity shortages or an unreliable supply then factories and businesses will not be able to function properly and that will affect how much they can make and maybe how many people are employed.
UK Steel are vital to the UK manufacturing industry, without them there would be no office blocks or shopping centres.
Paper, glass, ceramic, chemical and mineral industries all require massive amounts of energy to create what we use on an everyday basis and these industries also contribute billions of pounds to the UK government.
The government should be spending money on reliable energy sources such as coal power stations, or industries may go to other countries where there is a constant supply and people will lose jobs and businesses will close.
Local unempl
oyed people
We would be happy to see the Dogger Bank wind farm be built as it will create lots of jobs for the unemployed people. Many people will be required to help build, transport and construct
the wind turbines and although these jobs might require people to retrain to learn different skills, some skills might be transferable. For example lorry drivers could transport the wind turbines to the docks ready to be shipped out. This would mean that people who were relying on benefits from the government could get more money from some well-paid jobs. This would help the local economy and help people have better lives.
