The 35 Most Bizarre Things ever used to make biofuels

Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and, yep, it’s all true, as the Digest discovers.

IF YOU’RE ONLY AN OCCASIONAL READER in the world of the advanced bioeconomy — you’re probably used to corn, sugarcane and veggie oils as raw materials — and maybe add in cellulosic residues from agriculture, the landfilll, industrial manufacturers or forestry companies for some of the more regular readers.

By most counts, the number of feedstocks is well over 100 in total. And there are dozens of bizarre organisms used in bioconversion. But nature offers a tremendous array of life – life that survives by making energy for life and growth out of the materials around. Accordingly, the story of the advanced bioeconomy and its sources would not be complete without a look at some of the oddest materials and organisms ever used.

11 Unforgettable Classics

1. Human liposuction fat

It could only happen in LA, we suppose. In California a couple of years ago, the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who used liposuctioned human fat to power two SUVs with biodiesel, faced an investigation from the California state public health authorities, for potential violation of a state law that prohibits the use of human medical waste for vehicle fuels. The “lipodiesel controversy erupted when Dr Craig Bittner was sued by three patients for removing excessive fat and causing disfiguration.  According to reports, Bittner, who closed his practice in November 2008, left the country for South America.