Christopher Booker in his Notebook column for the Telegraph seems to be positively rubbing his hands with glee at an unexpected consequence of the smoking ban: thousands of patio heaters installed in pub gardens round the country to keep smokers warm outdoors. According to his article, British Gas has estimated that patio heaters will negate nearly 10% a year of the savings in emissions that Britain is pledged to make under the Kyoto Protocol.
Booker is scathing in quoting Tony Juniper, Director of Friends of the Earth, who has called for patio heaters to be banned. However, several chains of garden centre have agreed with Juniper and are dropping the products from sale. Now we have to wait and see if the Government will act on this issue or if their new green stance is nothing but hot air.
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