NationStates Jolt Archive

I was just looking around CNN and found this by accident

:D

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- A German inventor has angered animal rights activists with his answer to fighting the soaring cost of fuel -- dead cats.

Christian Koch, 55, from the eastern county of Saxony, told Bild newspaper that his organic diesel fuel -- a homemade blend of garbage, run-over cats and other ingredients -- is a proven alternative to normal consumer diesel.

"I drive my normal diesel-powered car with this mixture," Koch said. "I have gone 170,000 km (106,000 miles) without a problem."

The Web site of Koch's firm, "Alphakat GmbH", says his patented "KDV 500" machine can produce what he calls the "bio-diesel" fuel at about 23 euro cents (30 cents) a liter, which is about one-fifth the price at petrol stations now.

Koch said around 20 dead cats added into the mix could help produce enough fuel to fill up a 50-liter (11 gallon) tank.

But the president of the German Society for the Protection of Animals, Wolfgang Apel, said using dead cats for fuel was illegal.

"There's no danger for cats and dogs in Germany because this practice is outlawed in Germany," Apel told Bild on Wednesday in a story entitled "Can you really make fuel out of cats?"

"We're going to keep an eye on this case," Apel said.


http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/09/14/germany.catfuel.reut/index.html

PS - I don't like cats :)

Pure genious

Pure genious

It's green, recycles waste and cleans up the streets!
Might upset some cat lovers though.

It's green, recycles waste and cleans up the streets!
Might upset some cat lovers though.
Some DEAD cat lover :eek: .......ewwwww :(

A very good idea. Of course you'll get all of the animal rights activists whining but I don't see the problem when they're already dead. Millions of stray animals are euthanized in shelters across the developed world because there's no more room and nowhere to rehome them. So they might as well put the bodies to good use.

It seems like they specified cats to make the story more sensational. Why didnt they just say "road kill"
I dont know how it is in Germany, but cats likely make up a smaller percentage of road kill than say- possum, raccoons, squirrels, etc..

And why would someone be upset about a DEAD animal being used? The story doesnt seem to indicate any plan to raise cats to use as fuel.

Someday-a hundred years from now, they'll be debating dead humans being used to produce bio diesel.

A very good idea. Of course you'll get all of the animal rights activists whining but I don't see the problem when they're already dead. Millions of stray animals are euthanized in shelters across the developed world because there's no more room and nowhere to rehome them. So they might as well put the bodies to good use.

Well, you just chuck all your organic rubbish into this thing like kitchen scraps and other biodegradable waste as well including used kitchen oil.

Well, the inventor was misquoted. It is "possible" to use dead cats, however ANY organic matter will do. Dead cats, dead rats, leftovers from that strange cantina food, paper (yeah, organic!) just to name a few.

The first thing that came to mind was Back to the Future.

That's pretty cool. :)

The article said the cats would be already dead. It is not like he is taking live cats, killing them and using them for fuel. Animal rights activists are going to be angered over a corpse?

The article said the cats would be already dead. It is not like he is taking live cats, killing them and using them for fuel. Animal rights activists are going to be angered over a corpse?


That was my concern too. Shouldnt they be more angered about pets allowed into the road, or dead pets then left there to decompose and feed maggots and crows?

We can’t use dead cats but we can use dead dinosaurs?
Guess it depends on the level of decomposition

The first thing that came to mind was Back to the Future.
MR fusion lol

Normal diesel is pretty dirty and burns with lots of not-so-nice side pollulants.
Bio-diesel is much cleaner and burns cleaner (if done properly).

Purrrrrrfect fuel for my Cougar!

That was my concern too. Shouldnt they be more angered about pets allowed into the road, or dead pets then left there to decompose and feed maggots and crows?

Maybe we could enlist Bob Barker to help! :)

I like cats, but dead bodies for fuel is a pretty fair trade.

But why cats? I'm sure dogs are far cheeper to turn into fuel.

I like cats, but dead bodies for fuel is a pretty fair trade.

But why cats? I'm sure dogs are far cheeper to turn into fuel.

Any roadkill will do. No point leaving dead bodies lying around.

<is owner of book called 101 more uses for a Dead Cat>

Any roadkill will do. No point leaving dead bodies lying around.

<is owner of book called 101 more uses for a Dead Cat>
You try stuffing a dead cow through that 2 inch hole :eek:

You try stuffing a dead cow through that 2 inch hole :eek:

OK, anything that fits. Cows aren't normal roadkill though ... you'd be dead if you smashed your car into a cow!

Any roadkill will do. No point leaving dead bodies lying around.

<is owner of book called 101 more uses for a Dead Cat>

Yeah, they could easily use any organic matter. You could use animals killed by pest control, dead farm animals that aren't fit for consumption. Even food waste. And I own the dead cat book as well!

Necrotastic!

There's always going to be a group of people who will oppose something like this. And you can guarantee that there would be even more people opposing it if they proposed humans were used as well as cats. Because of course, it's much more beneficial to society to keep that corpse in pristine condition before you burn it and put it in an urn/bury it and leave it to rot/let one of your psychopathic family members try and resurrect it than it is to make some use of it.

A very good idea. Of course you'll get all of the animal rights activists whining but I don't see the problem when they're already dead. Millions of stray animals are euthanized in shelters across the developed world because there's no more room and nowhere to rehome them. So they might as well put the bodies to good use.

Eh, consitering how many animals are killed by the ARA's anyway they can't really complain. You know, the whole thing about living in glass houses and throwing rocks...


Appart from that, this is funny and neat at the same time!

Christian Koch, 55, from the eastern county of Saxony, told Bild newspaper that his organic diesel fuel -- a homemade blend of garbage, run-over cats and other ingredients -- is a proven alternative to normal consumer diesel.
Sorry to disappoint you all, but the bolded part ruins the story. Said newspaper is Europe's biggest misinformer. CNN and Reuters fell for it.
For those that can read German... (http://www.bildblog.de/?p=797)(and those that can't should at least read the title of the entry)

Sorry to disappoint you all, but the bolded part ruins the story. Said newspaper is Europe's biggest misinformer. CNN and Reuters fell for it.
For those that can read German... (http://www.bildblog.de/?p=797)(and those that can't should at least read the title of the entry)

Funny all the same :D

Funny all the same :DIt's mad whack with how much misinformation said newspaper can get away with...

Already posted, already demonstrated to be false. CNN taking something from Bild is roughly analogous to Xinhua taking something from The Onion. It's stupid, and it shows that their standards of journalism are worthless.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=444133

I can see someone running out of Fuel in the states, getting out of their car, shooting a cat and stuffing it into their fuel tank..... i honestly can

I'm a dog person myself. :)