Documentary investigates Wales’ coastal crisis
Presenter Steffan Powell says that becoming a parent has made him consider more seriously the impact of climate change on our lives.
In a new three-part documentary, Colli Cymru i’r Môr, S4C’s cameras follow Steffan on a journey around Wales’ coast as he investigates the issue.
Steffan is an experienced reporter and presenter for the BBC’s news services and is also a presenter on Doctor Who: Unleashed.
“Under threat”
“The world is changing and Wales isn’t an exception” says Steffan, who is a father to two year old Joseff and two-month old Sadie.
“Our coastline is under threat – it’s one of the greatest issues of our time.
“I’m interested in how Wales is changing and how different it will look to our future generations.
“There was one particular beach I loved when I was growing up, and I want my children to be able to visit it and have the same experiences that I had there.”
In the series Steffan will meet people who are already impacted by flooding, coastal erosion, or storms at a number of coastal locations.
He will also meet climate change experts and engineers who are working on creative ideas and inspiring projects to combat the effects of climate change.
While Steffan Powell focuses on Wales, weather presenter and glaciologist Steffan Griffith will accompany ambitious research missions to Svalbard glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet.
He’ll investigate why the significant changes taking place abroad could have an impact on our future in Wales.
Fear
Having worked as a journalist for fifteen years, Steffan Powell has seen climate change making the headlines consistently over that period:
“Right now, more than 234,000 buildings along Wales’ coastline are in danger of being lost.
“For many years to come, climate change will be one of the most talked about news stories.
“So having the opportunity to do a project that tapped into Wales’ role in the bigger picture across the world was of great interest to me” says Steffan Powell.
However, he claims that despite all the discussions, some people still deny that climate change is taking place:
“I think fear plays a part; some people think it’s better to pretend there isn’t a problem than to face the frightening truth of it.”
The first episode was broadcast on S4C on Wednesday 3 July at 21:00, and is available to watch on demand on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
