Uh, folks, is this story real?

Saving the planet can be a real pain in the butt. Just ask Peter Bethune, who’s powering his speedboat with biodiesel made of fat from his backside.

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Stories like this don’t tell themselves.

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That’s right, Wired is reporting that some dude turned his own liposuction fat into a liter of biodiesel. OK, so he admits it’s just a symbolic gesture — part of a publicity stunt to promote renewable fuels. The main event is breaking the round-the-world speed boat record in a rad-looking, biodiesel-powered boat.

Assuming this isn’t a hoax, is it even a good idea? I mean, leaving aside the fact that speed boats are energy hogs (and an outsized environmental offender, according to this book), does it help promote renewable fuels to link the concepts of “biodiesel” and “ass lard” in people’s minds?

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