The Centre for Alternative Technology was delighted to recieve a solar oven as a gift from a recent visitor to the centre. Manolo Vilchez from the social enterprise Alsol, based in Spain, fufilled a long term aim to visit the centre this week. He presented CAT with a solar oven produced by the organisation he works with as a gift for use as part of our educational work. Paul Allen, external relations officer at CAT said, ” It is... Read More ››
The research period for the latest Zero Carbon Britain report is coming to a close, and we are now looking ahead to the communications phase of the project. We are recruiting for a Communications Officer to work alongside the current ZCB team, co-ordinating the communication of the new research findings, aiming to build awareness, stimulate debate and discussion, and catalyse further action amongst our target audiences. Paul Allen, CAT’s Director of External Relations, talks about the roles and responsibilities... Read More ››
Water conservation is a fantastic way to reduce your ‘water footprint’. It has a positive impact on waste, reduces the need to pump water over long distances and protects against water shortages. CAT recommends connection to mains sewerage where possible because it provides an efficient way of disposing of material that is difficult to treat on a small scale. However, you can still easily reduce your water usage using these tips: Use less! Mains water provides a clean... Read More ››
Here at CAT we’re part of the Dyfi Biosphere – an area recognised by UNESCO as being particularly environmentally conscious, whilst also encouraging sustainable economic development. As we slowly move into spring, complete with April showers in May, it’s easy to see why this part of Wales has been recognised as being rather special. CAT is privileged to both play a part in, and be part of, the Dyfi Biosphere. You can find out more about the Dyfi Biosphere here.... Read More ››
Last week CAT headed to London for Grand Designs Live. We had been asked to provide live demonstrations as part of the ‘Natural Building Methods’ section – an area CAT has some experience in! After much discussion, we decided on glue laminating demonstrations for making arches for a Timber Arc construction. The Timber Arc is a beautiful example of timber frame building, using local and low-carbon materials. It’s also a dual-chamber compost toilet. Our goal at Grand Designs Live... Read More ››
Electricity production from wind power in the UK has increased dramatically over the last few years, as this graph shows. Plotted using National Grid data, it shows the proportion of UK electricity that is produced by wind turbines, from early 2009 to March 2013. The daily values appear chaotic as wind power output fluctuates between windy and calm days. But the 90 day rolling average shows a clear upwards trend, and this is at least partially due to... Read More ››
This week on ZCBlog Sarah Everitt, a long-term volunteer at CAT, describes her work linking between different parts of the CAT team: Education, and Zero Carbon Britain. Within the first week or so of settling in to the Zero Carbon Britain team I was finding out all about the progress of the research, the schedule for the report and the communications strategy and aims. Having a parent who works in education support I expressed an interest in how we... Read More ››
This year CAT has been on bit of a promotional tour – travelling to London, Birmingham and London again to attend exhibitions, study fairs and conferences. Each event gave us the opportunity to talk to people about CAT’s work in the field of sustainability. From this coming Saturday however, CAT will be doing more than just talking. We’re spending nine days camped out in the miniature village that is Grand Designs Live at the ExCel in London. Each day... Read More ››
