Fox News, 29 November 2007

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313844,00.html

Scientists have found a new threat to the planet: Canadian beer drinkers.

The government-commissioned study says the old, inefficient "beer fridges" that
one in three Canadian households use to store their Molson and Labatt's
contribute significantly to global warming by guzzling gas- and coal-fired
electricity.

"People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles," British
environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow tells New Scientist magazine.

"Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer
fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people — let's hope it
has an effect."

The problem is that the beer fridges are mostly decades-old machines that began
their second careers as beverage dispensers when Canadians upgraded to more
energy-efficient models to store whatever Canadians eat besides doughnuts and
poutine.

University of Alberta researcher Denise Young, who led the study, suggests that
provincial authorities hold beer-fridge buy-backs or round-ups to eliminate the
threat — methods that Americans use to get guns off the streets.