Poly usage

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Some are like vegans, who seem to make a lot of noise

Probably because of all the pulses they eat

 

[oliver90owner]

Beebe said:
Polystyrene is 98% air....just like this thread.

Fact check: Wrong wrt beehives - as usual.

Poster makes claims without checking (or being capable of checking?) before posting rubbish.

Some people need to realise that plastics are here and not going away. The waste in the oceans is down to humans, not particularly plastics. We have known about clothing fibres being a problem. We know plastic bags are a problem. We know the plastic cotton buds were polluting. We know that EPS, used in many ways finishes up in the oceans.

EPS is recyclable - but how much do we actually recycle? Not a lot. Humans waste materials because they are cheap - throw-away - but beehives are not in that category.

Some are like vegans, who seem to make a lot of noise compared to their numbers, and try to tar everyone, who disagrees with them, with the same brush.

While I agree that plastics usage should be reduced, beehives are really down near the bottom of the list. This will be of little importance if we continue to burn fossil fuels. Using them for limited production of recyclable plastics is, IMO, a small factor re pollution. It is the irresponsible use of plastics which which need to be got under control.

Proper polyhives have around 90% air in them, btw. 98% is an exaggeration wrt beehives. Just another piece of rubbish information banded around, by the unknowing, to be gobbled up by other un-knowing beekeepers (and others) because they ‘read it somewhere, so it must be true’. There are a lot of dimwits out there.

Do remember that, by definition, half the population are below average

 

[user 20297]

Fact check: Wrong wrt beehives - as usual..................................................

......................remember that, by definition, half the population are below average.

I am reminded of that whenever I read one of your responses to my posts.

After further thought, it's true, beehives are generally made from a heavier form of polystyrene than is used for packaging; so you are correct in drawing attention to my "false" and highly misleading information. Please tell us what percentage of air is actually incorporated into poly? The implication is that you do know the answer. Edit; (I see you have...as you say it's actually only 90%.I was miles out!)

 

[Poly Hive]

When I read about the wailing regarding fossil fuels nothing is said about the 3d world and the cooking fires. Of which there are millions upon millions every day. A neighbour in the village here is building his 4th house in his lifetime and he is putting in an oil boiler, external same as I have, and he tells me he was lucky to get it as they are being stopped for heat pumps. Now I have seen streets of back to back hoses where it's going to be impossible to site such pumps. I must be missing something or has the emperor no clothes and on that note, I have to wonder who is funding the Swedish missy and why.

And before the deluge of the usual ***** we have just spent over 10k insulating and damp proofing our dwelling.

PH

 

[Poly Hive]

Heard that Swienty no longer stock poly hives; story is that the Chinese factory that supplied Swienty (and another Euro poly supplier) stopped production.

No great loss: it had six (no, seven) significant design faults.

It took 10 seconds to proof check this comment. Polyhives National

PH

 

[ericbeaumont]

It took 10 seconds to proof check this comment. Polyhives National

Update (unconfirmed) is that production difficulties were resolved (pity).

 

[Newbeeneil]

When I read about the wailing regarding fossil fuels nothing is said about the 3d world and the cooking fires. Of which there are millions upon millions every day. A neighbour in the village here is building his 4th house in his lifetime and he is putting in an oil boiler, external same as I have, and he tells me he was lucky to get it as they are being stopped for heat pumps. Now I have seen streets of back to back hoses where it's going to be impossible to site such pumps. I must be missing something or has the emperor no clothes and on that note, I have to wonder who is funding the Swedish missy and why.

And before the deluge of the usual ***** we have just spent over 10k insulating and damp proofing our dwelling.

PH

I find it amazing that anyone building a new house is putting in an oil boiler. The government incentives and the relative cheapness of running a heatpump would seem to make that decision foolhardy.
I do so agree with your "emperor's new clothes" analogy, a great majority of the UK's housing stock would not be capable of being heated to modern building standards with heat pumps even with the introduction of excessive insulation and enlarged radiators. The problem of siting heat pumps to run efficiently outside many U.K. properties is another conundrum but no one in the government seems to be addressing these problems.

 

[user 20297]

Do remember that, by definition, half the population are below average

The generalised statement that “half of the population are below average” makes no sense to a thinking person. It would be the case were we talking about “the median”, which is perhaps what you meant?
In any case, one might ask, “Below average at what or in what respect?”
No-one on this planet is below average in every respect and everyone is above average in some respect.
The beekeepers who are likely to be reading this forum are above average in most respects.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I find it amazing that anyone building a new house is putting in an oil boiler. The government incentives and the relative cheapness of running a heatpump would seem to make that decision foolhardy.
I do so agree with your "emperor's new clothes" analogy, a great majority of the UK's housing stock would not be capable of being heated to modern building standards with heat pumps even with the introduction of excessive insulation and enlarged radiators. The problem of siting heat pumps to run efficiently outside many U.K. properties is another conundrum but no one in the government seems to be addressing these problems.

Kerosine which is the usual fuel for domestic oil boilers contains circa 10.5 kWh per litre. Typical current price of kerosine is around 65 pence per litre (less if purchased seasonally). Taking a ball park average of 85% for a pre condensing boiler efficiency into consideration slightly more than 7 pence per kWh seems a pretty good incentive for keeping oil fired heating. A new oil fired condensing boiler achieves efficiency nearer 95% which makes oil fired boilers even more attractive.
Also consider COP of around 3 (less in severe cold when heat is really needed) and steadily escalating prices for electricity seemingly without signs of slowing down and arguments for electrically powered heat pumps become difficult to take seriously.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Kerosine which is the usual fuel for domestic oil boilers contains circa 10.5 kWh per litre. Typical current price of kerosine is around 65 pence per litre (less if purchased seasonally). Taking a ball park average of 85% for a pre condensing boiler efficiency into consideration slightly more than 7 pence per kWh seems a pretty good incentive for keeping oil fired heating. A new oil fired condensing boiler achieves efficiency nearer 95% which makes oil fired boilers even more attractive.
Also consider COP of around 3 (less in severe cold when heat is really needed) and steadily escalating prices for electricity seemingly without signs of slowing down and arguments for electrically powered heat pumps become difficult to take seriously.

I pay 21p/kwh and I'm sure a modern well insulated house would give an efficiency of a ASHP in excess of 370% (450% with a GSHP) at that rate the cost per Kwh of heating is 5.7p. My installation was paid for within the 7years of the government's RHI scheme and if I remember rightly several on here did much better in their deal.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The beekeepers who are likely to be reading this forum are above average in most respects.

I love that you get into the spirit of things. You just need inspiration

I think it’s time for Christmas decorations too

 

[Repwoc]

the government's RHI scheme

Unfortunately the RHI is coming to an end and its successor, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, doesn't cover new builds. So in areas where there is no mains gas an oil fired boiler is likely the most economical solution when building a new home.

 

[mbc]

When I read about the wailing regarding fossil fuels nothing is said about the 3d world and the cooking fires. Of which there are millions upon millions every day. A neighbour in the village here is building his 4th house in his lifetime and he is putting in an oil boiler, external same as I have, and he tells me he was lucky to get it as they are being stopped for heat pumps. Now I have seen streets of back to back hoses where it's going to be impossible to site such pumps. I must be missing something or has the emperor no clothes and on that note, I have to wonder who is funding the Swedish missy and why.

And before the deluge of the usual ***** we have just spent over 10k insulating and damp proofing our dwelling.

PH

This is misplaced and delusional when you consider the worlds wealthiest 10% produce way over 50% of the world's carbon emissions, I don't think a couple of cooking fires are the problem when we have people regularly commuting across different continents.

 

[Swn58]

I hate open-toed sandles, but believe it's worth hugging a tree now and again to pick up on the energy it conveys. Try it! I also believe that 'off world intelligent entities' have been with us for thousands of years and are with us now! However, I am also a 'realist' if that's a term people prefer to use.
Poly hives have a shelf-life that precludes them from the recycling/pollution debate, in my opinion. The problem is the less dense packaging polystyrene, that all of us are forced to deal with at some point. I thought long and hard about the pro's and cons of poly verses wood hives. I dismissed the pollution angle straight away because they can last for easily 20 years. Some wooden hives might not. It takes more energy to make poly hives, so is not so eco-friendly from a construction point of view. Mind you lumber production, from tree to brood box is about the same?
I love my poly hives, especially the Abelo's that seem to offer more protection and create fast growing, safe colonies. I have some wooden hives and parts, but much prefer poly.

 

[Swn58]

Looks like I'm playing catchup here.....BBL!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This is misplaced and delusional when you consider the worlds wealthiest 10% produce way over 50% of the world's carbon emissions, I don't think a couple of cooking fires are the problem when we have people regularly commuting across different continents.

what you'll also find out in Africa is that the cooking fires are a heck of a lot smaller than you'd think as even timber in many countries is at a premium so they are very economical in their cooking methods and of course they don't all have two cars in their drives, walk a heck of a lot more than us and depend a lot more on public transport which also reduces their carbon footprint, re use of packaging is also big out there and many countries are now waking up to one use plastic bags and are working hard to reduce that.
But hey, it's always easier to believe what the press barons want you to believe and join in the xenophobic attack on a young girl who, at least is trying to make a difference and is definitely holding a mirror up to many people's faces.

 

[Poly Hive]

A couple of fires? LOL get real there are millions if not more.

PH

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I pay 21p/kwh and I'm sure a modern well insulated house would give an efficiency of a ASHP in excess of 370% (450% with a GSHP) at that rate the cost per Kwh of heating is 5.7p. My installation was paid for within the 7years of the government's RHI scheme and if I remember rightly several on here did much better in their deal.

The benefits of being well insulated apply to any house no matter what source of energy goes into it.

 

[madasafish]

I find it risible that beekeepers agonise over poly hives.

It's winter so we sit at keyboards - made of plastic, using computers - lots of plastic , electric wiring insulated by plastic, plastic window and door frames, mobile phones - plastic, drinking water from plastic pipes and drained from our roofs using plastic gutters , using detergent in plastic bottles, milk in plastic bottles and go the seaside in a car with an average 200kg in each, to play with plastic buckets and spades, water our gardens with plastic hoses,.

And to be more topical , avoid Covid using masks made of plastic .

FAR FAR bigger usage than hives. Like hundreds of millions times more.

I don't hear many beekeepers giving up all the above because they are made of plastic.

And by the way, anyone using wood fired stoves for heating is polluting far more than those using gas.

(Anyone who looks at Gridwatch a> in the recent cold spell would realise if we relied on renewables only and heat pumps, we would all be freezing as renewables don't work in still air when it is dark. So your heat pumps would stop working at the coldest time of the day. So designed by politicians then .)

a> electricity output of renewables was under 25% of demand . We burned coal to keep the lights on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A couple of fires? LOL get real there are millions if not more.

PH

where did I say there were only two? most of my time in Africa has been spent in rural areas where open fires are the only means of cooking, if what you say is true these spaces would be constantly under a cloud of woodsmoke. the only fires I saw there were small and only during the time a meal was being ccooked.
I thinks it's you who needs to get real, rather than trying to justify your contempt for anyone who is trying to reduce our impact on the environment by having a poke at less developed countries.