I couldn't resist reposting this presumably tongue in cheek reader
comment from Technology review which was originally about a new enzymatic
method of extracting hydrogen from starch...
<<The USA contains the most fat people of any nation so it seems. You
can see these fat blobs walking through airport terminals and shopping malls
and it is enough to make one sick. Why not convert the fat in these people to
hydrogen? If they would operate treadmills that make electricity that could
operate a electrolysis system for making hydrogen everyone would win including
improvement of healthcare in this country. I am guessing that there is an
excess of 10 billion pounds of fat in humans in the USA. Converted to hydrogen
at 10% would yield as much as 500 millions pounds of hydrogen per year. The fat
people characteristically comsume the starch you are speaking of. Starch to
human fat to hydrogen works...... does it not? Treadmills would install easily
everywhere. I could take off a few of my excessive pounds, too. How about
hydrogen blimp cars that could take more direct routes overland and upstairs to
tall buildings? It makes about as much sense.>>
Someone else went on to reply
<< I agree, but don't kill the people for the fat, simply harvest the fat from
the liposuctioning cosmetic surgeons here in Beverly Hills! Of course, then
people will think its ok to eat a lot more McDonald's>>
