This week I’m in the Cotswolds with CENTA (Central England NERC Training Alliance) and For The Love Of Mapping for the annual ‘Field TRiPP’.
It’s a week-long residential in which first year researchers get to immerse themselves in policy and environmental science, while also building bonds with their peers. I’m leading a group of enthusiastic PhD researchers exploring sustainability in a very local context.
Based at the Sustain Farm Shop and Cafe in Royal Wootton Bassett for the day, we heard from Nick Ash (Sustain Wiltshire), John Turton and Tim Payne (Sustain Cotswolds). Both community interest companies (CIC), they demonstrated the ways in which they’re taking immediate and impactful action – despite the slooooow pace of bureaucracy.
We’ve toured a pretty impressive concept at a local landfill site which will use methane emissions to power, heat and inflate innovative ‘super-midden’ plant growth domes.
We’ve also had a glimpse of ‘better’ – ideas that work, today, for communities as well as business. This included great insight from Umesh Kathirvel at stepzero.eco on the platform he and his team have built for SMEs looking to become more sustainable.
Today, my group are putting together a video showcasing everything we’ve seen and heard. Can’t wait to see it!
It’s a lot fun and genuinely quite inspirational. No matter how bleak the headlines, there’s always hope.
Hope – and the power of community. Cracking stuff.