Biofuel

[bradders]

Rabbits aren't actually native to many countries and in the UK they've only been wild for about 200 years. The rabbits in this case are strays and are having a detrimental effect on the local area. However I am under definitely not suggesting that the rabbits should be killed. Rounded up and neutered (or other methods of animal birth control) to prevent their breading I do agree with. Had this been done in the UK there would never be a 'need' to kill them.

I say to clarify that the rabbits shouldn't have been bred in the first instance and the shouldn't be killed for the mistakes of humans. But on the assumption that the authorities are going to do this no matter what then it is as I say tricky to find concrete arguments against the use of the corpses for fuel.

[residualvisuals]

Rabbits aren't actually native to many countries and in the UK they've only been wild for about 200 years. The rabbits in this case are strays and are having a detrimental effect on the local area. However I am under definitely not suggesting that the rabbits should be killed. Rounded up and neutered (or other methods of animal birth control) to prevent their breading I do agree with. Had this been done in the UK there would never be a 'need' to kill them.

I say to clarify that the rabbits shouldn't have been bred in the first instance and the shouldn't be killed for the mistakes of humans. But on the assumption that the authorities are going to do this no matter what then it is as I say tricky to find concrete arguments against the use of the corpses for fuel.

So... Peter Rabbit was a stray? I never thought of it like that. I thought they were wild, too. Puts a whole new spin on my view of those books from my childhood.

[bradders]

well I guess (even though fictional) he would have been a European Rabbit outside of Iberia not in captivity so yeh I'd say the description is correct.

(not to start getting too chatty or go too far off topic though lol)

[harpy]

I thought the Romans were meant to have introduced rabbits to Britain?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/pets/rabbits.shtml

Maybe they didn't go native until 200 years ago though?

[bradders]

I believe they didn't get into the wild until the beginning of the 19th century (possibly the end of the 18th) and until this time they were still in captivity for the purpose of food and fur.

[groovieolive]

Rabbits do not destroy parks!

[bradders]

They do however eat the vegetation, increase competition for food over native wildlife and dig burrows. This is damage to many people.

[bradders]

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24974
rest seems to be here noticed just now that I posted this thread after someone had posted something similar yesterday.

[leedsveg]

I think we discussed this before and several of us thought fuel from dead people was quite a good idea. Two problems solved at once - I'd consent!

...and being dead, you can't get done for smoking in a public place....

lv

[Glen Lambert]

...and being dead, you can't get done for smoking in a public place....

lv

Yet!

[boatsteem1]

When I read about this in Swedish medias I remember that these rabbits (which are not native, we only have hares) were shot long before they came up with the idea of using them for biofuel. Before that they just threw them away or (I guess?) burnt them.

Also, as far as I know, making biofuel doesn't involve burning the animals but rather the decomposition process creates a gas which can then be used to drive vehicles.

And is this news article some kind of joke? It looks like it was written by a member of the Mujahideen rather than a real journalist.

[bradders]

Nope, no joke similar (but well written) article on bbc. In the end the fuel produced is burnt so yes the rabbits would be burnt.
my feelings have been summed up above:

1. It is terrible that people are allowing pets to breed, especially to the degree that they literally throw out the offspring.
2. It's bad that they buy pet rabbits to start with
3. It's bad that the authorities are culling the animals rather than taking responsibility for the actions of the citizens and giving them shelter and dealing with the culprits.


However, once they've actually killed the rabbits I find it hard to find a credible argument against recycling the corpses for fuel, the alternative is burning them or burying them anyway. The main worry is that the chain could become dependent on rabbits as fuel in the same way that incinerators become dependant on a mix of combustibles including a range of recyclables. The consequences of this are much greater of course.

Really is quite a sad situation from start to finish.

[greenspex]

When are we ever going to get past this idea that an animal is a thing and can therefore be used for whatever we want dead or alive, but that a human is a person and should be respected in all circumstances even as a corpse?

For me that's the problem

[sandra]

I agree. I also hate the way when humans are describing negative behaviour they refer to it as...........'they were acting like animals'..............I say 'NO, they were acting like humans.'

I find the topic of this thread very sad and depressing...............but then that's life as we know it isn't it?

[greenspex]

This will make you laugh - grimly - a vegan friend of mine was describing some people's behaviour and said "...and I guess they'd become like pigs" - then his jaw dropped (he's life veggie as well so really, no excuse) and said, "I can't believe I just said that! How ingrained are our responses?!"

[RainInStarlight]

Why can't we just make it from vegetable oil? Why?

[bradders]

it's not a question of finding something to make the fuel out of but rather they are looking for something to do with the carcasses once they've killed the rabbits. The fear then goes that the systems in place will then be reliant on a mix of matter that includes animal.

As for making fuel out of vegetable oil there are serious problems with that, reduction in land for food, habitat destruction... reusing used oil for fuel is a good idea though.

[RainInStarlight]

it's not a question of finding something to make the fuel out of but rather they are looking for something to do with the carcasses once they've killed the rabbits. The fear then goes that the systems in place will then be reliant on a mix of matter that includes animal.

As for making fuel out of vegetable oil there are serious problems with that, reduction in land for food, habitat destruction... reusing used oil for fuel is a good idea though.

You have a point. Sorry, I was just thinking about that they were just killing the rabbits for fuel, not that they were already killing the rabbits and just thinking of something to use them for. I must've just skimmed the article..not read it properly.

Reusing used oil would be a good idea...or trying to enhance solar energy/hydrogen energy for vehicles? I don't know much about the subject, so I don't know. Thanks, though.

[rxseeeyse]

wow, that is out of my imagination, seriously, dead animals for fuel...now biofuel sounds very scary...I guess it's hard to know where it comes from...
I do love rabbits myself, so I would support the idea of giving them a shelter or some sort...but it is important to stop them to destruct the environment I guess...But then put them in shelters restricted them as they run wild themselves...@_@ animal issues....so hard to think where I stand lol. (but the stop them having baby idea I totally support 100%) its better this way than killing them and making them into fuel.

[Korn]

I haven't read this article yet, but it seems to focus on an interesting perspective.
"The great biofuel delusion"