Living Car Free - Is this a sick joke?

I think car-free people would suggest riding a bike to use human fat for transportation but this doc apparently harvested it from his patients and burnt it as fuel in his SUV. This is one way to reduce out dependence on foreign imports and tackle the obesity problem at once.

"Craig Alan Bittner apparently created lipo-diesel from his patient's fat and used it to fuel his Ford SUV and his girlfriend's Lincoln Navigator."

http://www.ktla.com/landing_topstories/?Doc-Busted-for-Using-Human-Fat-to-Fuel-C=1&blockID=171088&feedID=1198

I guess that's one way to go....

Have you checked that story on snopes?

Have you checked that story on snopes?

I submitted it--haven't heard back yet. I think the article was very poorly written as it didn't attribute the sources by name and it didn't mention where the lawsuit was filed. The reporter also didn't mention if he even tried to interview the surgeon.

From my post on a different forum:

"Hey Craig! Your SUV smells like J-Lo's jiggly arse!"

"Yes, yes it does...."

First problem: To the best of my knowledge, the Lincoln Navigator does not offer a diesel engine, likewise any of the Ford SUV's. Pickup trucks, yes; SUV's, no.

How come every time I ride in your car I get hungry for pork rinds?

:eek:

First problem: To the best of my knowledge, the Lincoln Navigator does not offer a diesel engine, likewise any of the Ford SUV's. Pickup trucks, yes; SUV's, no.

Second red herring--I'm a little suspicious that there's actually a California law that "forbids the use of human medical waste to power vehicles."

First problem: To the best of my knowledge, the Lincoln Navigator does not offer a diesel engine, likewise any of the Ford SUV's. Pickup trucks, yes; SUV's, no.

The only Ford "SUV" that had a diesel engine was the Excursion which was discontinued in 2005 in the US. Interesting they would specify her vehicle by name and model but not his.

Aaron:)

"The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel -- and I have more fat than I can use." Lolz

"The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel -- and I have more fat than I can use." Lolz

I'm not sure of the BTUs in human fat, but let's suppose you need over 7 pounds to be equivalent to one gallon (about 7 pounds) of diesel fuel. If you suctioned 20 pounds from one patient, you'd only get 40 miles or so in a big SUV. The doctor must have been a busy man to harvest "more fat than I can use."

Hey, my bike is fat-powered... does that count?

Hmmm, an SUV gets about 2 miles per pound of fat. My bike does way better than that!

Isn't it technically a Human Powered Vehicle? ;)

Hmmm, an SUV gets about 2 miles per pound of fat. My bike does way better than that!

If I ride my bike enough the fat goes away anyway.

But you know, it is a renewable resource.

I don't know about the specific story mentioned, but I remember some transatlantic(?) speed boat that used a deisel engine and ran on some form of biodiesel which included a small amount of "human" fat.

The power of google. Turns out it was round the world trip. Pilot used some of his own "love handles"

Peter Bethune's biofuel-powered attempt at the round-the-world powerboat speed record will feature blood, sweat and tears – as well as his own fat.

The Auckland adventurer has had about 100 millilitres – four syringes – of fat from his "love handles" removed by liposuction to literally fuel his record bid. And he is pleading for overweight people about to undergo the procedure to donate their fat to his cause. If Mr Bethune gets enough fat he will have it refined and converted to fuel for his futuristic 24-metre trimaran. Mr Bethune, 39, a former oil exploration engineer who has become a staunch biofuels advocate, said the idea of using human fat to power his boat was a publicity gimmick to promote his venture. He asked a couple of fat friends whether they would be willing to donate their spare kilos, but they told him he must do it first.

http://www.solarnavigator.net/earthrace.htm
http://www.earthrace.net/