♦ nivek ♦ Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 October 14, 2009http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=burning-bunnies-for-biofuel-2009-10-14 Burning bunnies for biofuel? By David Biello The Swedes, those latter-day descendants of bloodthirsty Vikings, have found a new use for rabbits: heating fuel. According to Der Spiegel, stray rabbits in Stockholm are being shot, frozen and then shipped to a heating plant to be incinerated. In the Swedes' defense, the bunnies are a menace; a plague of wild andstray pet rabbits is devouring the city's parks. Some 3,000 have beenkilled thus far this year, down from 6,000 last year, Tommy Tuvunger, aprofessional hunter who works for the city, told the German newsmagazine. Converting the rabbits to fuel is the company Konvex, a subsidiary of the Danish company Daka Biodiesel,which makes automotive and heating fuels from vegetable and animal oilsand fats. The Swedes have a variety of similar efforts, includingturning slaughterhouse trimmings into biogas, a methane fuel that runstaxicabs in Linkoping in southern Sweden. And in the U.S.,ConocoPhillips and Tyson have joined forces to make biofuel from porkand chicken fat, which is otherwise consumed as pet food or turned intocosmetics or soaps. Such efforts have given rise to parody, including a prank in 2007wherein members of the leftist activist group The Yes Men, masqueradingas executives from Exxon Mobil, attempted to convince an audience ofoil industry types that "Vivoleum"—aproposed fuel to be made from dead people—was the fuel of the future."We need something like whales, but infinitely more abundant," said YesMan Andy Bichlbaum masquerading as Shepard Wolff of Exxon. Of course,making biofuel from human fat is illegal in the U.S. Bunnies, despite a felicity for breeding, are not quite abundantenough to be a reliable fuel so Stockholm also ships dead cats, cows,deer and horses to the plant for processing, Tuvunger told Der Spiegel. No word on whether the remains of man's best friend are also keeping Swedes warm this winter. Image: © iStockphoto.com / Mariya Bibikova Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I wouldn't want to live near that plant. I bet it stiiiiiiiiinks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 The wspa needs to bring down some pain on the Swedes for such a practice. If they are going to kill rabbits, they better damn eat them. I have a soft spot of animals, so this is repulsive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qec Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I never fail to admire your sense of humor Kevin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Is it true that they used to render dead pets into gearbox oil and/or transmission fluid? Because that shit certainly smells like they might of. *barf* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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