Renew Wales organised an online event today to bring together those in the Rhondda, Cynon Taff county area who are keen to address the response to the climate emergency. It was a first attempt at connecting community groups who are already active on this and various council officers and members to start to work out a collective way forward. Attendees had the options of some workshops which highlighted specific themes and some of the activity already going on the area; they were bike recycling, clothes recycling, growing food and improving community land ownership and reducing energy use.
The second part, when the larger group split into smaller groups, looked at visioning and ‘future’ thinking with the task of coming up with 3 ‘seeds of change’ (or ideas) for the area. Just a few examples were;
- a District heating system
- stimulating appetite for local energy generation
- local food network
- changing the way people think and behave- the choices they make
- a reduction of plastics used in the home
- growing community enterprises to a more industrial scale.
After feedback they then returned to those groups to list the impacts that these ‘seeds’ would have.
It was lively and interesting with much discussion and sharing of ideas.
The recording of the event (main room discussion only) can be seen below.