Al Gore must like cheese

Now that Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize, it seems an appropriate time to ask: Is Mr. Ozone-man a Cheesehead, too?

I'm not mocking Gore's girth. That would be mean, not to mention childish. No, I'm curious whether the planet's leading planet-saver has heard the following news.

A scientist in upstate New York has been awarded a state grant to study whether cheese and cheese byproducts (whey, mostly) can be used as fuel. This from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

A Syracuse researcher has won a $400,000 state grant to study the feasibility of making ethanol out of the whey left over from cheese-making. Whey will come from the Kraft Foods cream cheese factory in Lowville, N.Y. The project may point the way toward a supplemental source of revenue for upstate New York's dairy industry, said lead researcher John Fieschko.

According to the story, the technique has already been tried successfully in New Zealand. But this test may help bring the process to the United States.

This is exciting news for cheese-lovers and earth-lovers alike. So, in honor of Gore's Nobel, this is the slogan for today:

Save the Planet. Eat Some Cheese.

Full story: Could cars run on cream cheese?
New Orleans Times-Picayune (registration required)