Week 5: CAT visit

We visited the Centre for Alternative Technology, based in Machynlleth, to receive a talk and look around the exhibits on display. The centre was built using sustainable methods in a disused slate quarry and features a water-balanced 'railway' and a low-energy house and buildings created using straw and rammed earth methods.

During the talk, Jo quoted some information from several sources, including the 'Story of Stuff' where he picked out the fact that of all the products that US citizens buy, 99% are thrown away within six months. He also showed us the website 'GapMinderWorld' which compares data on environmental and political issues such as the correlation between energy consumption and GDP, and the fact that although China and India are currently producing a lot of pollution and consuming a lot of resources, Europeans are still one of the worst offenders as we have been causing these issues for centuries.

Another interesting chart we looked at was the depiction of how much of the world each nation is using up. On average, the USA consumes 5 planets worth of resources, we use 3, India uses just 1/2 while Afghanistan uses 0. However, when you compare the resource use to living standards in these countries you can see a huge difference, and Cuba are the closest to getting it right as they use 1 planet while maintaining high life expectancy and literacy rates as they had to learn to be self-sufficient due to political issues.

One piece of information we have had fed to us over the years is that every little helps, that by turning the light off as you leave the room you are doing your bit to 'save the planet', despite 4 lightbulbs using just 0.2kWhrs, compared to heating a house with 40kWhrs.

The WISE (Wales Institute for Sustainable Education) building where we received the talk was built in order to be as eco-friendly as possible. Concrete had to be used for the foundations but was kept to a minimum, while the bricks were created from a mix of sand and lime and baked at a lower temperature to regular house bricks. The structure is timber-framed and uses packed earth and shredded newspaper as insulation, and finished with natural paints.

Reflective Questions

Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module?
I had not heard of CAT

Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site
One point that stands out is that we have always been told that 'every little helps', but in reality only big changes can make a big impact. The website 'GapMinderWorld' was interesting too, which showed the link between economies and CO2 emissions and contained data from a wide period of time. Looking at the process of building the WISE centre showed that a range of surprising materials make effective insulation and structural elements.

Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked up while at CAT
Initially, the water-powered transportation was interesting, as it was surprising that it could provide such a reliable service at a steep incline. The use of materials like wool and shredded newspaper made effective insulation, and although the building was constructed with sustainability at the forefront of their thinking they were also able to create an attractive house that didn't damage the aesthetics of the local environment

Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?
Although the emphasis was mainly on architecture and not on product design, the idea of second-life is important for any new product. It also showed that products don't have to use the standard materials expected of them, but can break the mould and still be effective and reliable whilst providing more sustainability.