Morgan BellHuman Fat can fuel Cars and Boats
February 17th 2009 14:34
If only it wasnt againt health regulations . . .
I just read a disturbing little article about a doctor from Beverly Hills using liposuctioned human blubber to power a couple of cars.
Apparently animal fat contains the same triglycerides that are required to create biodiesel as vegetable oils do.
Animal fats need to undergo an additional step to get rid of free fatty acids not present in vegetable oils, but otherwise, there's no difference between "lard" diesel and fuels derived from soybeans.
According to the story, a gallon of human fat can be converted to a gallon of biodiesel. and drivers can get about the same amount of mileage from fat fuel as they do from regular diesel.
The doctor in question was Craig Alan Bittner and this is what he had to say about the process:
Bittner's human biofuel manufacturing came under scrutiny when several patients filed lawsuits alleging he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform surgeries without a medical license.
It is illegal in California to use human medical waste to power vehicles, and Bittner is being investigated by the state's public health department.
HOWEVER
If you are in New Zealand attempting to circumnavigate the globe in an eco-friendly boat it may be a different story.
The kiwi sailor behind the helm of Earthrace, Pete Bethune, is a former oil exploration engineer, who is committed to proving biodiesel is a viable alternative to fossil fuel.
Earthrace is a state-of-the-art speedcraft that runs on human fat, in addition to other biodiesel fuels.
Apparently in this case the Remuera plastic surgeon, Martin Rees, performed the procedure for free. It was a real challenge finding much fat on Bethune's lean 70 kg frame, the additional probing necessary to obtain any fat from the surgery left Bethune feeling quite bruised.
Turning human fat into soap . . . using dead bodies for fuel . . . fiction is blurring into reality!
I just read a disturbing little article about a doctor from Beverly Hills using liposuctioned human blubber to power a couple of cars.
Apparently animal fat contains the same triglycerides that are required to create biodiesel as vegetable oils do.
Animal fats need to undergo an additional step to get rid of free fatty acids not present in vegetable oils, but otherwise, there's no difference between "lard" diesel and fuels derived from soybeans.
According to the story, a gallon of human fat can be converted to a gallon of biodiesel. and drivers can get about the same amount of mileage from fat fuel as they do from regular diesel.
The doctor in question was Craig Alan Bittner and this is what he had to say about the process:
"The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel--and I have more fat than I can use," Bittner wrote on lipodiesel.com. "Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly but they get to take part in saving the Earth." Bittner's lipodiesel Web site is no longer online.
Bittner's human biofuel manufacturing came under scrutiny when several patients filed lawsuits alleging he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform surgeries without a medical license.
It is illegal in California to use human medical waste to power vehicles, and Bittner is being investigated by the state's public health department.
HOWEVER
If you are in New Zealand attempting to circumnavigate the globe in an eco-friendly boat it may be a different story.
The kiwi sailor behind the helm of Earthrace, Pete Bethune, is a former oil exploration engineer, who is committed to proving biodiesel is a viable alternative to fossil fuel.
Earthrace is a 78 foot alternative fuel powered wave-piercing trimaran, it can carry 3,000 gallons of fuel, and weighs 23 tonnes when fully fuelled.
Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure, making a total of 10 litres of human fat.
This in turn produced seven litres of biofuel, which could help the boat travel about 15km.
Earthrace is fuelled on 100 per cent biodiesel and has a net zero carbon footprint.
Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure, making a total of 10 litres of human fat.
This in turn produced seven litres of biofuel, which could help the boat travel about 15km.
Earthrace is fuelled on 100 per cent biodiesel and has a net zero carbon footprint.
Earthrace is a state-of-the-art speedcraft that runs on human fat, in addition to other biodiesel fuels.
Apparently in this case the Remuera plastic surgeon, Martin Rees, performed the procedure for free. It was a real challenge finding much fat on Bethune's lean 70 kg frame, the additional probing necessary to obtain any fat from the surgery left Bethune feeling quite bruised.
Turning human fat into soap . . . using dead bodies for fuel . . . fiction is blurring into reality!
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