Instapundit links to a FEMA document concerning how to “cook” woody material to make a gas to fuel internal combustion engines if petroleum products become scarce. This sounds hi-tech, but truly isn’t new.
A sometime military historian, I remember reading that during their World War II occupation the Japanese would spare little or no gasoline to the Philippine civilian sector. Clever locals used this method to propel buses and taxis in Manila.
The vehicles in question had a bulky device welded on the back which used a external combustion fire to heat a tank of plant material which gave off gas which was piped to the engine, which ran (badly, I suspect) on the fumes. Once the plant material had given off all its gas, it was effectively charcoal which was then burned to heat the next tank of plant material.
FEMA’s design improves on the WW II version but I hope I’m never reduced to such kluges.
