New York wind documentary planned by filmmakers
A new 17-minute video documentary, "New York Wind Power," presents the stories of people living near wind farms in New York and Pennsylvania, along with related opinions from experts on energy, finances, politics, health and the environment. "We tried to mix all those elements together in less than 20 minutes," says filmmaker Chris McClure. "I think it comes out in favour of wind power, but it also takes into account the critiques." Among other questions, McClure asked residents about the effect on property values and if they had seen dead birds or changes in wildlife behaviour. All the interviews take place outdoors and near the turbines. "We wanted to produce something that was honest and ethical to raise some of the issues that keep coming up at community meetings," he says. "I went to where the turbines are and started knocking on nearby doors to talk to residents and farmers. I wanted to talk with the people who weren't making any money from the wind farms along with those that were." The reaction, says McClure, has been incredible. "We did an initial run of 2000 DVDs and there already have been requests for 3500 more," he says. The film was co-sponsored by six companies.