Why do thieves keep stealing catalytic converters? It’s elemental

Greg Miller

doi:10.1146/knowable-120321-1

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Why do thieves keep stealing catalytic converters? It’s elemental

COMIC: Rhodium is one of several precious metals that put the catalyst in catalytic. And right now it’s worth more than gold.

By Greg Miller Illustrated by Maki Naro 12.07.2021

This piece was produced in cooperation with the Nib

10.1146/knowable-120321-1

Greg Miller is a science journalist based in Portland, Oregon, where his Nextdoor feed is filled with stories about stolen catalytic converters.

Maki Naro is an award-winning feral cartoonist and science communicator. You can reliably find him online, where he tweets from the handle @sciencecomic

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<p class="article-info">
Comic</p>
<h1>Why do thieves keep stealing catalytic converters? It’s elemental</h1>
<p class="article-subhead">COMIC: Rhodium is one of several precious metals that put the catalyst in catalytic. And right now it’s worth more than gold.</p>
<p class="article-byline">
<span class="author-byline">By Greg Miller</span>
<span class="pub-date">12.07.2021<span>
</p>
<div class="article-content">
<div class="article-text -drop-cap"><div class="article-comic"><div class="comic-panel"><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-01-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-01-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-02-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-02-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-03-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-04-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-04-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-05-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-05-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-06-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-06-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-07-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-07-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-08-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-08-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-09-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-09-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-10-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-11-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-11-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-12-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-12-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-13-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-14-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-14-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-14-3.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-15-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-15-2.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-16-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><p>This piece was produced in cooperation with <em><a href="https://thenib.com/">the Nib</a></em></p></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-120321-1/catalytic-converter-comic-17-1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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