Our dependence on foreign oil is a constant thorn in our side - in addition to being a drain on our economy. John Kanzius, an inventor from Florida, may have found a solution. He has found a way to turn salt water into fuel.’

John Kanzius, 63, is a broadcast engineer who formerly owned several TV and radio stations, before retiring in Sanibel Island, Fla.

Five years ago, he was diagnosed with a severe form of leukemia, and began a quest to find a kinder, gentler way to treat the disease compared to harsh chemotherapy.

In October 2003, he had an epiphany: kill cancer with radio waves. He then devised a machine that emits radio waves in an attempt to slay cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

His experiments in fighting cancer have become so successful, one physician was quoted as saying, “We could be getting close to grabbing the Holy Grail.”

But in the midst of his experiments as he was trying to take salt out of water, Kanzius discovered his machine could do what some may have thought was impossible: turning water into fuel.

“On our way to try to do desalinization, we came up with something that burns, and it looks in this case that salt water perhaps could be used as a fuel to replace the carbon footsteps that we’ve been using all these years, i.e., fossil fuels,” Kanzius said.

If it’s for real, the possible ramifications of the discovery are almost mind-boggling, as cars could be fueled by salt water instead of gasoline, hydroelectric plants could be built along the shore, and homes could be heated without worrying about supplies of oil.

“It doesn’t have to be ocean salt water,” Kanzius said. “It burns just as well when we add salt to tap water.”

Kanzius has partnered with Charles Rutkowski, general manager of Industrial Sales and Manufacturing, a Millcreek, Pa., company that builds the radio-wave generators.

“I’ve done this [burning experiment] countless times and it still amazes me,” Rutkowski told the Erie Times-News. “Here we are paying $3 a gallon for gas, and this is a device that seems to turn salt water into an alternative fuel.”

Kanzius has been told it’s actually hydrogen that’s burning, as his machine generates enough heat to break down the chemical bond between hydrogen and oxygen that makes up water.

Here’s the YouTube of a TV report about Kanzius’ invention:

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 at 7:58 pm and is filed under Headlines/Current Events, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.