Pubs are installing patio heaters in outdoor smoking areas
Posted on 06/10/2007 5:28:10 PM PDT by Stoat
Pubs are installing patio heaters in outdoor smoking areas
Patio heaters installed by pubs to keep smokers warm on chilly nights could soon produce as much carbon dioxide as a small city, it has been claimed.
Next month's smoking ban has triggered huge demand for the gas-fired heaters from pubs, restaurants and clubs creating legal outdoor smoking areas.
But according to experts, a single heater releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year than the average fuel-hungry "Chelsea tractor" - a large 4x4 car.
They estimate the additional patio heaters bought by pubs this year could produce up to 320,000 additional tons of carbon dioxide.
This equates to a "substantial chunk" of the annual reduction in greenhouse gases needed to meet Britain's Kyoto targets and close to the carbon emissions from every home in a city the size of Bath.
Although some DIY stores have banned patio heaters, tens of thousands of pubs have added them to gardens and outdoor areas to keep smokers happy.
"It's pretty sad that keeping warm while you have a cigarette is more important than tackling climate change, especially in a country familiar with simpler remedies to chilly evenings such as the woolly jumper," said Ben Tuxworth, of the environmental charity Forum for the Future.
The findings come from British Gas, which studied the impact of pub patio heaters as part of its energy saving campaign. It found half of all pubs in Scotland bought at least one patio heater after the smoking ban in March 2006. Many bought several.
With a single heater releasing almost four tons of greenhouse gases a year, the patio heaters installed in Scotland produced up to 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide in their first year, the company said.
British Gas estimates a minimum of 40,000 heaters will be bought for the July 1 deadline by English pubs.
That would produce around 160,000 additional tons of carbon.
If pubs buy two, the emissions would rise to 320,000 - the equivalent to the annual domestic carbon output of a small city. The estimates are based on Government findings that a typical commercial patio heater is used for around five hours a day, 237 days a year.
Jon Kimber, the company's spokesman on energy efficiency, said many homes were working hard to improve their energy efficiency.
"There has been a real step change in people's concerns about reducing their impact on the environment and it's worrying to see these efforts cancelled out by a sudden boom in patio heater sales," he said.
Earlier this year the garden chain Wyevale stopped selling patio heaters after pressure from environmental campaigners. According to Friends of the Earth, the energy used by a heater in one hour is the equivalent of boiling a kettle enough times to make 400 cups of tea.
Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said: "Patio heaters waste energy and inflict unnecessary damage on the environment.
"Ministers must do more to get their climate strategy back on track. It's time to ban the sale of these metal monstrosities."
The smoking ban in indoor public spaces begins on July 1 in England. Wales and Northern Ireland introduced their bans earlier this year.
They will be delighted to 'hate' any group that they can cast as a bogeyman under the umbrella of Political Correctness and drive it to extinction while smugly braying to all that they have the moral high ground....enriching themselves in the process, of course.
It seems like the most environmentally-friendly way to live my life is sitting in a chair all day, using the least calories possible.
I don’t know if I should call this a Law of Unintended Consequences or Smokers Blamed for Everything ping to the Nanny state list!!!!!!!
Have at it boys and girls - this one is a pip!
This would send a message that Britons have 'rights', which is an idea that cannot be allowed to gain a foothold.
They would prefer to simply ban outdoor heaters while keeping tobacco legal but nearly impossible to use. This gives them greater taxation leverage.
The maintenance of widespread fear is essential, so every now and then the jackbooted AntiSmoking or Enviro Police will kick down the door of a pub and arrest all in attendance for 'suspected environmental law violations'.
Goebbels and Himmler would jump up and down with delight.
Thank you for pinging your list :-)
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Diogenes is looking for one of them too.
F
Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant no matter what the evironazi’s say. We would die without it (after the plants died first of course).
evironazi=environazi
Wasn't it President Reagan who got into trouble over stating similarly sound scientific facts?
I think that he was lambasted by the Left for mentioning the gases that are put out by trees, until it was shown that he was correct, of course. Then the 'gaffe' magically disappeared from the headlines.
(and of course there were no apologies from those who had mocked him)
Paris Hilton has two by the pool.
I thought trees take in CO2 and produce oxygen. Am I wrong?
No, not at all. I believe that Reagan mentioned other gases which trees also produce, some of which are regarded by some as 'pollutants'.
Another unintendted consequence of liberalism...
you have got to be kidding me? Some more junk science about global warming.
I guess they really have it in for the trees, don't they.
Are these people going to save the planet by destroying the planet? Talk about insane in the membrane!
The jackbooted EnviroJihadists are deadly serious when it comes to manufacturing a rationale for separating you from your tax money, increasing the spread of the cancer known as Socialism and doing everything they can to destroy Western culture. This is their bread and butter and it's no joking matter for them at all.
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