[Noisebridge-discuss] Heating without electricity + watt/hour meter

[aestetix aestetix]

Time to play the Devil's Advocate.

I am specifically avoiding Noisebridge right now because it's too cold. It's
not super freezing (I just got back from a very snowy Berlin), but it's
uncomfortable. And if I have to choose between staying at home or a
coffeehouse that has heat, and suffering through the uglies at Noisebridge
on principle...

I don't think telling people to bundle up is a valid solution. If I'm going
someplace to be with friends, I want to relax. For me, relaxing involves
being able to take off my jacket(s). Wearing multiple layers also creates a
social barrier, which negates the entire idea of trying to have a warm
(lolz) and friendly community.

Also, I suspect a lot of projects (such as the buildout) are grinding to a
halt because nobody wants to deal with the cold. But hey, I haven't been
around in the last couple weeks, and this is all based on hearsay, so I
could be wrong.

On the other hand, throwing down for some reasonable source of heat that
doesn't ignite the building seems like a good plan. I know from experience
that a small space heater or two can make a world of difference, depending
on where it's placed. It might take a dozen space heaters to warm up NB, and
the insulation of the space kinda sucks, but I think it's worth it until
winter is over.

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 3:39 PM, Josh Myer <josh at joshisanerd.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 3:20 PM, Christie Dudley <longobord at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Not to be too disparaging on "bundling up", I'd like to point out that it
>> doesn't work for everyone.  Just like negligence in the elevator working and
>> other "non-able-bodied" concerns, we're neglecting the health of the
>> not-terribly-healthy segment of the noisebridge population by asking this of
>> them.
>>
>> National residential building code says that there has to be a way to keep
>> any space above 50 degrees at 3' above floor level. (I'm not sure what
>> commercial standards apply)  I don't think it's a waste of noisebridge
>> resources to purchase a $3-400 propane heater, a tank and enough propane to
>> run it when the temp drops below 50 inside.
>>
>>
> And commercial kitchens have to use bleach on all prep surfaces every
> night.  Fortunately, we're not a commercial kitchen or a residence, so those
> codes don't apply to us.  Whew.
>
> I'm all for being sensitive about people's needs, but I haven't seen anyone
> directly complain, "I'm not going to noisebridge to do something awesome
> because it's too cold for my ${condition}."  I _have_ noticed people leaving
> noisebridge to go out and drink elsewhere, so I'm currently considering the
> cold to be a feature, not a bug.
>
> It is just the beginning of winter, but it's also about as cold as SF ever
> gets, and has been for a few days now.  The space is unlikely to get any
> colder than it is now, and adding curtains and baffling to the
> windows/skylights will help retain the heat we have in the space.  If, after
> that's done,  the cold is still keeping people from contributing to the
> space in a meaningful way, let them speak up and solve the problem.  Until
> then, I'm happy to kick in a couple loaner beanies.
> --
> Josh Myer 650.248.3796
> josh at joshisanerd.com
>
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>
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