You may now be an outlaw in Europe just for brewing a hot cup of coffee

In a surprise move that has European coffee fanatics baffled, the European Union has passed legislation that requires all new home coffee machines starting in 2015 to shut off and go into unheated standby mode immediately after brewing the coffee, leaving your coffee tepid and cooling.

Why?  Because the EU contends that energy leeches such as coffee maker hotplates waste energy and increase reliance on expensive and high-emission energy resources oil, gas and coal.

To which we respond: “Really, coffee maker hotplates??”

Maybe we could understand regulations on the emissions or efficiency of cars, trucks, factories, major home appliances like refrigerators and  and other energy guzzlers.    Perhaps even low-energy light bulbs.  But coffee maker hotplates?  Really?

This all means that effective in 2015 in the European Union if you want to make a hot cup of coffee at home in the morning and leave it on the hotplate until you have a second cup, or while you go about getting ready for work or school, you’ll be an outlaw.

Well, the American revolution started dumping tea into Boston Harbor.  Maybe Europeans will find a similar way to protest.