In the new Mother Jones, Jamie Hyeman of The Mythbusters looks at a handful of odd ideas in alternative energy sources, from cow shit to grape juice. From Mother Jones:
ENERGY SOURCE: Raindrops
HOW IT WORKS: The Atomic Energy Commission uses special plastic to convert raindrops’ falling motion into electricity.
BUSTED: JH: “A when-pigs-fly kind of scenario. It’s millions of times more efficient to collect hydroelectric power through a dam than raindrop by raindrop.”ENERGY SOURCE: Dirty diapers
HOW IT WORKS: A British company turns poop and plastic from diapers into gas and oil.
BUSTED: JH: “Are you really going to be able to isolate diapers in such huge volumes that you’re running your entire country off of gasoline powered by diapers? No.”