WhiteBoard News for Monday, January 13, 2003

Totten, England (The Sun):

A father loaded a van with snow and drove it 110 miles so his son could build a snowman.

Two-year-old Elliot O'Sullivan was distraught when no snow settled near his home.

So dad Shaun O'Sullivan, who was working in snow-covered Kent, filled his Mercedes Sprinter van with snow and drove it home to Totton, Hants, for a surprise.

Shaun, a 24-year-old window fitter, drove the whole way with the heater off to stop it melting.

He told The Sun: "It was worth the effort to see the look on Elliot's face - though it was freezing driving back."

Elliot's mum Tracey, 27, said: "Elliot and I pulled up outside our house and could see Shaun getting something out of the van.

"I could hardly believe my eyes when I realised what he was up to. Elliot's face was a picture."
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Oslo, Norway (Farsunds Avis):

Farmers in Norway have launched a beauty pageant for cows.

The winner will get the title "Miss Lista" - after the region where it is being held.

Two judges will examine each cow and consider their body, legs and teats.

The Farsunds Avis newspaper reports: "If it becomes a success it will become a yearly event."

The event is organised by Lista Produsentlag, the association of local dairy farmers.
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Taipei, Taiwan (Independent Online):

An unemployed ex-convict decided on Monday to return to jail where at least he could enjoy free room and board, police in north-eastern Taiwan said.

Lee Hui-yi, 32, previously convicted of drug addiction, walked into a local bank unmasked, wielding a kitchen knife and demanded money. An armed bank guard ordered Lee to drop his weapon and surrender, which he did in a highly co-operative manner, the officer said.

Lee later told police he was unable to find any job after he was released from jail last month. He said if he planned to get away with the bank's money, but added free meals and accommodation in prison were also an attractive option, the officer said.

Taiwan's unemployment reached a record high of more than 5 per cent last year, with economists estimating that more than 1,7 million people are out of work. Government authorities put the figure at about 550 000.
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Los Angeles, California (Fox News):

Scientists trying to get to the bottom of global warming are having a cow _ to blame, that is.

Researchers say methane-producing bovines are passing way too much gas and it is contributing to the environmental challenge. 

"We've got to be proactive on everything so we're taking it seriously," said Bob Feenstra of the Milk Producers Council.

So what's the straight poop? Dairy animal waste produces so much methane gas, they're becoming targets for environmentalists and energy companies.

Vacuum trucks scoop up cow pies in the field and dump them in digester facilities that turn the methane into clean energy.

But there's no way to trap it all. Twelve percent of greenhouse gases that are believed to contribute to global warming are from methane.

Landfills are the top methane producer in the United States; livestock is second. Now dairymen and ranchers are looking at ways to make cows less gassy.

"We have expert veterinarians that remove the waste from the cows and analyze it, what's in it and what gases are being produced," Feenstra said.

The most common remedies are injecting the animals with hormones, altering the feed and disposing of their waste quicker.

But some scientists are skeptical of these methods.

"They're being fed higher quality feed, so there's going to be less methane being generated from cows. So it's not a situation that's going to get worse, it's going to get better," said environmental researcher Nathan de Boom.

Even so, he added, "It's kind of hard to believe it would have some kind of significant contribution to the environment."

Canadian farmers have already taken steps to reduce their impacts on global warming, and landfill operators in the United States have dealt with stricter methane rules for years. So some dairymen worry regulators may target them next even though many think the whole issue is a lot of hot air.
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