Do people in the middle east truly use their own feces as a fuel souce to cook food?

I have heard from many people who have been to the middle east that in some countries in the middle east people there actually use their own feces as coal since human feces has methane in it. I was not able to find any type of imformation about this on the internet but i remember a history teacher telling me the same thing. Does anyone have any information on this?

Originally posted by demonologist842012
I have heard from many people who have been to the middle east that in some countries in the middle east people there actually use their own feces as coal since human feces has methane in it. I was not able to find any type of imformation about this on the internet but i remember a history teacher telling me the same thing. Does anyone have any information on this?

I would say thats valid....seems in that area \snipped\ is used for everything!

Why use human feces though...hmmmm...I am thinking they don't!

Would be good in a survival situation!

Your Headline is rather misleading though - sounds like they're using it instead of oil in the pan.

I've had several friends who served in Iraq. They've mentioned some customs that most Westerners would find gross (it's all relative), but I haven't heard that one. Pretty sure they would've mentioned it, because they had to eat in the local manner with local customs in order to try and "befriend" the village leaders. So, they would've had to eat the poo poo food. I'm pretty sure they would've mentioned that one.
I highly doubt, but if so....Ew.

well lots of cultures use cow pats as fuel for the fire. but ive not heard about using human pats.

sounds quite dangerous.

Doubt it as the smell you smell from farts/crap ISNT methane.

Cow pats work for fuel as they are vegetarians....human crap is different and does not combust.

Originally posted by loves a conspiricy
Doubt it as the smell you smell from farts/crap ISNT methane.

Cow pats work for fuel as they are vegetarians....human crap is different and does not combust.

edit on 27-11-2011 by loves a conspiricy because: (no reason given)

Human "crap" is not combustion...where did you get that from?

Skipped out on science class much...or go to school at all...come on...of course it is combustible!

Whether or not it is used is the topic...with all the other feces...why would it be?

I understand the taboos about the left hand carry entirely new and rather startling meanings in that area of the world..but cooking with feces?? I don't buy it. I think that is one odor above all others that we, as humans, are hard coded to reject and be repulsed by. I think it's almost, if not literally a genetic thing. I can't imagine them actually using it to waft such great odors across their food before dinner. Yikes.......

I wouldn't shake the wrong hand either, though... Oh, and if you see pebbles in the john? Leave them be..trust me on that.

reply to post by demonologist842012


Google "Methane digester". and you will see that in many parts of the world, where they aren't as squeamish and wasteful as the Western world, they harvest methane from all decomposing materials so as to generate electricity, heat their homes, and even cook their food. With a little bit of research, you would even be able to find out that there is no odor, and it is completely safe to do so. If this technology were used around the world, we wouldn't need to burn any fossil fuels at all. The only thing that holds us back is the mindset of so many people that this technology is somehow gross. Instead we flush away 12,000 gallons of clean drinking water per year to dispose of 600 gallons of waste, then send it to a sewage reclamation plant, where toxic chemicals are added, and subsequently polluting our water supply. I ask you, which is more gross, drinking your own feces, or breaking it down in a natural and safe manner, and utilizing the natural energy contained therein, and replenishing the topsoil with the inert leftovers?

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by loves a conspiricy
Doubt it as the smell you smell from farts/crap ISNT methane.

Cow pats work for fuel as they are vegetarians....human crap is different and does not combust.

edit on 27-11-2011 by loves a conspiricy because: (no reason given)

Human "crap" is not combustion...where did you get that from?

Skipped out on science class much...or go to school at all...come on...of course it is combustible!

Whether or not it is used is the topic...with all the other feces...why would it be?

Go crap in the garden....leave it a day...try and light it, wait another day, try and light it...keep doing this until you get bored.

It will NOT ignite.

The only way to make it combustible is to let it ferment....the bacteria produce the methane, which can be harvested. This is normally done in a container....where the methane can be caught.

Crap on its own will not ignite...i think its you who needs to go back to school here

EDIT: What you smell after a crap is NOT methane, its hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide.