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A GROUP of volunteers from Chester are determined to get back to nature when it comes to food.

WWF is aiming to shed some light for Flintshire residents on a big switch-off on Saturday.

NEARLY half of UK homes waste an average of £150 of heat through their roofs every year, because they don't have enough loft insulation.

But improving your insulation doesn't just knock down your energy bills and make your home cosier, many homeowners have found that clearing the loft can give their budget a boost as they turn unwanted items into cash from the attic.

The Carbon Trust's mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions now and develop commercial low carbon technologies for the future.

The organisation aims to cut carbon emissions now:

By providing business and the public sector with expert advice, finance and accreditation.

Launched on 1 April 2006, DECC's Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 replaces the previous DTI Clear Skies and Solar PV grant programmes.

Open to householders, public, not for profit and commercial organisations across the UK (except the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), the programme will demonstrate how energy efficiency and microgeneration can work hand in hand to create low carbon buildings.

The aims of the programme are as follows:

To support a more holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions from buildings by demonstrating combinations of both energy efficiency measures and microgeneration products in a single development.

Take the green route to helping yourself and the environment by swapping four wheels for two, starting on International Car Free Day

If your bicycle has been gathering dust in the shed for far too long, there is no better time to bring it back into operation than Car Free Day next week.

Developing cycling opportunities in West Cheshire has been identified as a high level activity by Cheshire West and Chester Council. The authority is hoping this will help encourage even more people to swap four wheels for two when International Car Free Day takes place on Tuesday.

The worldwide Freecycle Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of landfills. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process.

Each household produces about one tonne of rubbish annually which means that UK households throw away over 29.1 million tonnes of waste.

The amount of rubbish we throw away is increasing for a number of reasons:

New packaging materials and technology are being developed.
Lifestyle changes, for example a greater reliance on convenience/fast food.
Increasing affluence, leading to greater consumption of goods.
Increasing population.
Today's rubbish compared to pre-1960s rubbish, contains more products that don't break down when they're put in the ground. Packaging waste makes up about a quarter of all the rubbish you put in your bin, most of this could be recycled.

We need to increase the amount of rubbish that is recycled because we cannot carry on burying and burning rubbish forever. This is recognised by the government who are thinking of ways we can reduce the amount of rubbish we produce and increase the amount we reuse and recycle.

I'm off to London for the launch of a new national campaign designed to get the UK population to reduce it's carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.
It's been dreamt up by the team who brought us the film Age of Stupid and has coverage of the launch has completely taken over today's Guardian newspaper.
I'll be at the Tate Modern today for the launch party and I'll be back tomorrow with photos and news of how Cheshire residents, businesses, schools and other organisations can get involved/
In the meantime, you can read the statement of support from the Low Carbon Communities Network here, sign up to 10:10 yourself or email cheshire@lowcarboncommunities.net to find out more about low carbon communities in Cheshire.

The current lifespan of a boiler is around 15 years so choosing the correct heating system with a condensing boiler and correct heating controls can make a huge difference over time. With energy prices now higher than ever, you'll certainly feel the difference in your pocket.

How they work
Condensing boilers are the most efficient available as they waste the least amount of energy. They convert much more of the fuel they use into useful heat compared to old conventional boilers.

By law, new gas boilers fitted in England and Wales must (with a few exceptions) be condensing ones, Make sure your installer is Gas Safe registered* and ask about condensing boilers. They will be able to tell you which one would best suit your home.
*(Gas Safe replaced CORGI as of April 2009)