The battle over plans for a windfarm by the Yorkshire Dales is a clash of interests and values. On one side, a Norwegian energy company and a UK energy secretary with renewable targets to meet. On the other, local residents and a local sculptor who are concerned about the impact of the windfarm on the rural landscape and wildlife. The windfarm, proposed for deep peat moorland overlooking the Yorkshire Dales national park, would power 81,000 homes and is a key part of the Labour government's renewable energy targets and planning revolution. However, the locals are not convinced. They fear that the windfarm will irreversibly industrialize their rural landscape and disrupt the natural world they cherish. A local sculptor has constructed a scale model of one of the windfarm's turbines, which will reach 200m - as high as the 'skyscraper' in Deansgate, Manchester. The model is based on the 00 gauge model railway, where a model person is 22mm tall. The battle over Hope Moor is set to be repeated across the country as the government's drive to generate 95% of electricity from low-carbon sources by 2030 clashes with local people's fears for wildlife, landscape, and countryside. The energy secretary has announced contracts for new green energy projects, including 28 new onshore windfarms. However, the locals are not convinced that the benefits outweigh the costs. They question the logic of damaging this carbon sink with large concrete turbine bases and access roads in the quest to reduce carbon emissions. They also worry about the impact on 'pristine' water supplies, noise, and flicker from the turbines. The opponents of the scheme have formed an action group and plan to tour their region with the model turbine. They insist they are not NIMBYs, but rather concerned citizens who want to protect their beloved landscape and wildlife. The question remains: can the government's renewable energy targets be met without compromising the natural beauty and wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales?
