# Turkey guts into fuel oil! Is this the greatest tech. advance ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605 "2003-04-23T15:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/1 "2003-04-23T15:35:10Z")
Just had to share this, which is unbelieveably cool: [http://www.discover.com/may\_03/featoil.html](http://www.discover.com/may_03/featoil.html) > [@](#): > > Anything into Oil > Technological savvy could turn 600 million tons of turkey guts and other waste into 4 billion barrels of light Texas crude each year > > … > > \_ \_ Unlike other solid-to-liquid-fuel processes such as cornstarch into ethanol, this one will accept almost any carbon-based feedstock. If a 175-pound man fell into one end, he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, and 7 pounds of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water. While no one plans to put people into a thermal depolymerization machine, an intimate human creation could become a prime feedstock. “There is no reason why we can’t turn sewage, including human excrement, into a glorious oil,” says engineer Terry Adams, a project consultant. So the city of Philadelphia is in discussion with Changing World Technologies to begin doing exactly that. > \_ \_ “The potential is unbelievable,” says Michael Roberts, a senior chemical engineer for the Gas Technology Institute, an energy research group. “You’re not only cleaning up waste; you’re talking about distributed generation of oil all over the world.” ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/2 "2003-04-23T15:55:21Z")
i’m willing to petition Og in favor that this process be everything these guys say it is, and more. it would be a wonderful balance to the imbalance we’ve been generating for the last…how many generations? :: crosses fingers :: lachesis ---
**Author:** ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/3 "2003-04-23T18:36:35Z")
In the name of God, nobody tell PETA about this. ---
**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/4 "2003-04-23T20:33:51Z")
This is seriously really badass, and I wonder why I’ve never heard about it before. The article mentions that a small version of this can be put on a truck, but I hope we’ll one day be able to put garbage directly into our cars a la Back to the Future Part whatever. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/5 "2003-04-23T20:57:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TaxGuy \* > \*\*This is seriously really badass, and I wonder why I’ve never heard about it before. > > The article mentions that a small version of this can be put on a truck, but I hope we’ll one day be able to put garbage directly into our cars a la Back to the Future Part whatever. \*\* Of course, “Mr. Thermal Depolymerization” doesn’t have the same ring as “Mr. Fusion” ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/6 "2003-04-23T21:10:19Z")
There seriously has to be a catch, what is it? ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/7 "2003-04-23T21:24:28Z")
Man, I thought this thread had something to do with the nation of _Turkey g **e** ts into fuel oil!_ and I was wondering what the big deal was. Sheesh… ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/8 "2003-04-23T21:37:28Z")
I’m going to file this, at least temporarily, in “Too Good To Be True.” I fully expect karma to bite me in the butt if I’m being TOO skeptical, however. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/9 "2003-04-23T21:45:33Z")
Nah, the greatest tech advance is the Solar Plant, which increases production 50% cumulative with other bonuses and eliminates all shield-produced pollution. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/10 "2003-04-23T22:25:01Z")
_People!_ Soylent Green brand gasoline is _people_! Well, someone had to do it. I hope I got the quote right. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/11 "2003-04-23T23:57:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Technological savvy could turn 600 million tons of turkey guts and other waste into 4 billion barrels of light Texas crude each year I’ve finally found my life’s calling…knife goes in, guts come out… ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/12 "2003-04-24T01:28:57Z")
And ConAgra is investing in this technology. Now _those_ folks must have a shitload of turkey doots to sell. It gives new meaning to the term “crude oil”. Stop me before I pun again! ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/13 "2003-04-24T01:30:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*There seriously has to be a catch, what is it? \*\* The catch is, it’s powered by cold fusion. ---
**Author:** ![djxiii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@djxiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djxiii)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/14 "2003-04-24T02:48:03Z")
but the best part is that the car exhaust smells like DINNER! ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/15 "2003-04-24T04:34:20Z")
Dinner is oily turkey guts? You poor, poor man. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/16 "2003-04-27T17:10:40Z")
I just realized that the process also produces water, which could be just as useful. The plant in Carthage claims to produce 115,000 tons of Diesel & no. 2 fuel oil a year. Assuming a 3.2:1 ratio of sterilized water to oil is produced when agricultural waste is used (based on the statement that a 175 lb man would exit the machine as 38 lbs. of oil & 123 lbs. of water) that means that roughly 241,920 gallons of water would be produced each day by the $20 million plant. When you consider that there is expected to be a crisis due to lack of drinking water soon, and the fact that many people in the third world don’t have access to clean water this could be a big step forward. Even though people in industrialized nations use about 150 gallons a day per person that is still enough water for 1600 people, and if it were used in the third world would probably provide clean drinking water for 100,000 people. I’m sure not many people would be happy drinking water that comes from turkey byproducts though. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/17 "2003-04-27T17:23:40Z")
From the linked article: > [@](#): > > (Quoting Brian Appel) > > “It will make 21,000 gallons of water, which will be clean enough to discharge into a municipal sewage system.” It sounds like it’s not exactly clean enough for drinking. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-guts-into-fuel-oil-is-this-the-greatest-tech-advance-ever/170605/18 "2003-04-27T19:16:18Z")
My math is screwed up. The discovery article said 21,000 gallons of water & 600 barrels a day, but the [springfield news](http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/projects/stewardship/turkey120402.html) says it will make 115,000 barrels of diesel & oil a year. Since there are 42 gallons of oil in a barrel, that is 315 barrels a day. Which doesn’t fit with the 600 barrels claimed or my miscalculations. now i feel stupid.