I’ve been told that the Centre for Alternative Technology, CAT, is in a very serious situation and is requesting help from supporters.
Of course, there are many excellent causes to direct money to. Please be assured that I don’t plan to blog on all of them or even many of them. Rather, you will find some on the Resources page of this website, where you can browse at your leisure. So why mention this one this time? I think, because of the number of people worldwide who stand to be affected by this situation and because what this organisation aims to achieve seem to me to be very closely aligned with the transition to a more sustainable way of life that many of us are already aware of and experiencing. And… I just have a hunch that it’s the right thing for me to do today!
Here’s what CAT are saying:
“The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) is CAT’s most important project to date. Hundreds of thousands of people will benefit from the courses, conferences, education and events that will happen in WISE, and millions more will benefit from the practical solutions developed and taught within its walls.
However, WISE now finds itself in a precarious position.
Originally a £5million project, the building costs for WISE have risen because of a legal dispute between CAT and the main contractor, Frank Galliers Ltd. Last month, in the High Court, CAT was awarded over £500,000 in costs. However, Galliers have since gone into liquidation and we are unlikely to see a penny of the money owed to us.
This has left CAT in an incredibly difficult position. We need to raise £530,000 over the next few weeks to complete the WISE project. Please could you help us at this critical time?”
You can find the full story and donate here.
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. 
CAT has been an inspiration to many over the years but it has also put off many by its lack of realisation of the commercial world and that to do the things it wants to do (which are generally to be praised) it must make money. Making money is not taking public handouts it’s using the expert knowledge they have to generate the wealth they need. I know there have been commercial spin-offs from CAT and surely these are where the funding should be coming from. In times like these, with so much happening in renewable energy installation, CAT’s coffers should be bursting at the seams.
I hope CAT manages to continue with WISE but I think CAT themselves need to be a little more wise.
I edit a website http://www.realityGreen.co.uk. I am very pro renewable energy and believe the world must work towards sustainable living but sustainable unfortunatley also includes financial viability. Sorry if my view sounds negative, I don’t mean it to. With its knowledge, CAT should be a much bigger influence in the UK’s renewable energy market and I think maybe now is the time for the organisation to take a long hard look at itself.