The Centre for Alternative Technology (Canolfan y Dechnolg Amgen) was founded in 1973 on the site of the disused Llwyngwern slate quarry near Machynlleth, in Mid Wales.
When founder Gerard Morgan-Grenville started the organisation, he conceived "a project to show the nature of the problem and show ways of going forward."
In 1985, CAT was established as the UK branch of Ecoropa.
http://www.cat.org.uk/