A TALK is to take place to imagine what Newtown would like if everyone lived within the resources of One Planet and reduced their ecological footprint.

David Thorpe, director of the One Planet Centre in Carmarthenshire, will explore the possibilities at a meeting to be held at Newtown High School on Thursday, February 13 at 7.30pm. Entry is free.

One Planet Centre is an independent body that supports regions and individuals to reduce their ecological footprint to protect standards of living and the environment with training.

David will talk about what it would mean for the people if of Newtown became a one planet town.

Community enterprise Open Newtown’s Open Energy project is hosting a series of talks in partnership with Newtown High School to help unravel the confusion around climate change. Speakers focus on different aspects of the crisis.

In March, Dr Richard Kipling, of the Aberystwyth University Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), will talk about how different land use and management affects the amount of carbon stored.

Further talks are being arranged throughout the spring and summer at Newtown High School on a Thursday at 7.30pm. The talks, which are free and open to anyone, are supported by ARWAIN, the Regional Development Plan for Powys administered by Powys County Council.

Open Newtown has secured funding from ARWAIN to find ways for Newtown to reduce its carbon footprint.

Newtown’s Open Energy project manager Jeremy Thorp explained that he is seeking to find opportunities for generating renewable energy or other ways of cutting carbon within the town, particularly within the green spaces that Open Newtown manages.

“I am looking to try and find opportunities for solar energy or helping people to make their homes more energy efficiency,” he said. “I am really pleased to be engaging with students at Newtown High School and they have now set up their own eco committee.

“Hopefully, these young people will help us to engage with more people in Newtown.”