The law of unintended consequences just keeps getting weirder and weirder. An environmental group in the UK is concerned that country's ban on indoor smoking could impact energy energy usage: People are expected to flock to pubs that have outdoor patio heaters, to keep their fingers toasty warm while they light up. A survey conducted by the Energy Saving Trust found that 31% of people who sit outside at pubs prefer them to have patio heaters, and the group expects the number of the energy-guzzling devices in the country to double over the next year. They are urging stores to stop selling them, pointing to their high carbon emissions, and suggest that people put on sweaters instead.

Source: Call to stop patio heaters sale. BBC News, July 25. Photo of a heated smoking patio from Flickr user y entonces.