A downside to biodiesel
Hat tip to
Jay Tea at Wizbang for the link to
this story from the Boston Globe
Car's alternative fuel said to attract bear
A Winsted man believes the sweet smell of the vegetable oil he uses to fuel his car attracted the bear that damaged the vehicle white trying to get at the biodiesel.
Larry Joy, a 53-year-old electrician, said the bear shattered a window on his 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit, tipped the plastic fuel tank on its side, and gnawed on car hoses about two weeks ago. He said the evidence included muddy paw prints around the broken window and a pool of cooking oil on the rear floorboards.
"I knew what it was after," Joy told The Sunday Republican of Waterbury. "I think it's cool that bears do whatever they want."
Joy uses a combination of diesel and vegetable oil left over from restaurant fry vats to power his car. He says it gets 44 miles per gallon.
The car needs to be started using regular diesel, because vegetable oil is too thick for the engine to handle. When a gauge indicates the engine coolant is at 90 degrees, it is warm enough to thin the biodiesel, and Joy can flip a switch to change fuel tanks.
When the coolant hits about 150 degrees, Joy said, there is a sweet smell.
"My neighbor said it smells like cheeseburgers," he said.
Just wait until the bear goes for desert -- maybe something in your kitchen?
We live in a very rural area and taking a short walk in the woods, you can find all kinds of bear scat. There are some very simple precautions to take to prevent them from coming near the house (bird feeder timing and garbage management) so they aren't a problem.
This idiot is practically inviting them into his living room and thinking (or not) that "I think it's cool that bears do whatever they want".
Posted by DaveH at May 30, 2005 2:30 PM