Alternative Fuel Source Inventor fights German paper over "Cats into Gass" story

[Xen]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9339530/

BERLIN - A German inventor said he has developed a method to produce crude oil products from waste that he believes can be an answer to the soaring costs of fuel, but denied a German newspaper story implying he also used dead cats.

Christian Koch, an inventor and patent holder of the “KDV 500” that he said produces high quality fuel, said he can transform waste products such as paper, rubbish and plastic materials into fuel.

But Koch, 55, said there was no truth to stories published in Bild newspaper on Tuesday and Wednesday that suggested he used dead cats as part of the mix for his organic diesel fuel.

“I use paper, plastics, textiles and rubbish,” Koch told Reuters.

“It’s an alternative fuel that is friendly for the environment. But it’s complete nonsense to suggest dead cats. I’ve never used cats and would never think of that. At most the odd toad may have jumped in.”

Bild on Tuesday wrote a headline: “German inventor can turn cats into fuel -- for a tank he needs 20 cats.” The paper on Wednesday followed up with a story entitled: “Can you really make fuel out of cats?”

A spokesman for Bild told Reuters the story was meant to show that cat remains could “in theory” be used to make fuel with Koch’s patented method.

The author of the story said Koch had never told him directly that he had used dead cats as the story implied.

The website 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.

“I drive my normal diesel-powered car with this mixture,” Koch is quoted saying in Bild, next to a large picture of a kitten. “I have gone 170,000 km (106,000 miles) without a problem.”

"Oh Xenny, just where dooo you find this stuff?"

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Gives new meaning to: "Put a tiger in your gas tank!"

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

This would go along good with Wisconsin's cat hunting issue.

 

[anarres]

I'm guessing that new fuels would not be under any special tax, and so initially very very cheap for consumers?

 

[Rik Meleet]

Using waste as fuel does make sense. Can't argue with that. I'm just wondering how poisenous the exhaust-gasses will be ....

 

[Xen]

Isnt anyone also wondering how, and why the cat rumour got started?

 

[Rambuchan]

He should stop pussying about and tell us the truth.

 

[anarres]

Does this remind anyone of Back to the Future?

 

[Dr. Yoshi]

Does this remind anyone of Back to the Future?

Yeah, Mr. Fusion does come to mind. Too bad this won't make our car fly.

 

[BasketCase]

Who needs dead cats? The static electricity from LIVING cats is far more powerful.

The problem I see with using trash is a problem of energy density. Yes, trash contains energy, but so does wood. There's a reason cars burn gasoline instead--because a siding of plywood contains less energy per unit volume.

 

[Taliesin]

“It’s an alternative fuel that is friendly for the environment. But it’s complete nonsense to suggest dead cats. I’ve never used cats and would never think of that. At most the odd toad may have jumped in.”

That is priceless!

 

[h4ppy]

Yay, more time for puns!

 

[Babbler]

Does this remind anyone of Back to the Future?

I was thinking more along the lines of A Moderate Proposal and Soylent Green.

Hum... Soylent Gas...

 

[Fischfang]

Isnt anyone also wondering how, and why the cat rumour got started?

Because the piece of news that someone found a way to turn rubbish into fuel wasn't sensational enough for the Bild Zeitung. Thay claim to be a newspaper, but rarely print something that has anything true to it.
Unfortunately it's the biggest newspaper in Germany and other newspapers often just copy the stories without verifying them.

 

[Narz]

The problem I see with using trash is a problem of energy density. Yes, trash contains energy, but so does wood. There's a reason cars burn gasoline instead--because a siding of plywood contains less energy per unit volume.

What if you're wrong?