Was Ben Franklin wrong?

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” So sayeth Benjamin Franklin, at least. However, the eco-fools who work for the Canadian government disagree:

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.”

OK, we can argue whether or not a beer fridge is a “frivolous luxery”, but I can sort of see their point–you Canadians just need to have more efficient beer fridges. Not a problem, right?

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.

OK, now we have a problem. I guess you have loonies in other places than on your currency, huh?