Comments on: You Know You Are Badass When…

By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:54:11 +0000

Well.. I’d only mind them on every porch if they were running 24/7. I have the redneck version (basically a burner that clamps onto a propane can) and I go through about 2 cans of propane a year using it. It mostly gets used when you have a party and people are smoking outside. Or when I’m barbecuing in the winter.

These things ain’t about cool autumn nights… it’s about not freezing your a$$ off when it’s 25 degrees outside.

By: GforGood

GforGood — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:26:23 +0000

Pauper, was not trying to be provocative – sorry if it seemed that way. Obviously was not suggesting propane as an alternative. Was just prompted to note the reason why electricity generation in the US indeed produces so much CO2.

But I do think Ontarioroader is in priciple right – those heat lamps are hardly the most enviro friendly way to keep warm on a cool autumn night and as such not something one would want to see on every single porch…

By: pauper

pauper — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:03:52 +0000

You’re right…things would be better if our country was dependent on propane.

Geesh…I was simply just posting the info I’d found about propane relative to other fuel sources.

And last time I checked, there are very few absolutes in the world and I don’t think ontarioroader’s comment is one of them.

By: GforGood

GforGood — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:43:08 +0000

Otis, hahaha.. funny

Ontarioroader, you are of course absolutely right.

Pauper, its the dependency of this country on coal (not just oil) that gives you those huge CO2 emissions from the power sector.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:36:24 +0000

Oh, come on. Environmental concerns over patio heaters? You are missing the forest for the trees. The article says one of these things produces 34.9kg of CO2 in 13 hours. A typical car produces that in less than 50 miles of typical driving.

How often do you think a person might use one of these over a winter? A couple hours a day? That’s as much environmental impact as your typical suburbanite has in couple weeks of driving to work, for a whole year.

You don’t save the environment by worrying about the small potatoes. Lowering the thermostat in your house by one degree would have a much greater impact than using a patio heater a few times a week for a couple hours. And given how few people actually own one, and how much they are used, in total they have an insignificant impact on the carbon produced in this country.

And this made me laugh out loud, from that article:

“Wyevale said it would be offering greener alternatives for customers wanting outdoor heating, including recycled wood burning stoves.”

Yeah- I am sure that burning wood (without a catalytic converter, of course) is much better than propane for the same amount of heat. Ummm… no.

By: Otis

Otis — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:07:23 +0000

Like many so-called environmentalists, ontarioroader seems to lack a basic understanding of simple scientific principles. If you don’t open the windows, the furnace will barely heat the porch at all!

By: pauper

pauper — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:59:12 +0000

Actually, from what I just read, propane is an extremely clean-burning fuel, especially relative to other fuels. It emits much less carbon dioxide per Btu than gasoline, residential fuel, coal, kerosene, etc. when burned. I didn’t know this, but electricity actually produces twice as much CO2 than propane per pound burned. Go figure.

So I guess it’d be better if we just all sat out on our porches with these on than if we turned the heat on in our homes/apartments/etc.

By the way, I’ve rarely ever seen the owners use it. I can think of maybe 2 or 3 times.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:23:07 +0000

Right. Because what goes better on your neighbor’s front porch than propane + smoking?

By: Pip

Pip — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:17:52 +0000

That would appear to be the extra-sweet Arctic Sun Copper Bullet, and retailing at over 400 bucks, that thing had better be well bolted down.

By: ontarioroader

ontarioroader — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:10:17 +0000

I can’t believe no one has brought up how environmentally wretched these things are. You might as well just leave your car idling all day or open your windows with your furnace on. The largest home and garden center in the UK even voluntarily stopped carrying these things even though they were one of their best selling items. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/apr/05/energy.environment
Seriously, put on another sweater or go inside. I’m shocked folks think these things are acceptable.