In the Public Interest

A coal miner’s hazard is emerging as a significant and commercially feasible source of clean energy. It is the methane gas in under­ground coalbeds which is historically associated with coal-mining explosions Virtually equivalent to natural gas, methane can be used, like natural gas, for home heating and fuel­ing gas appliances. UNTIL RECENTLY, the methane in…

Close by the Los Angeles International Airport rises the giant Marriott Motel —a symbol of electricity waste with its decorative and bulbous outdoor lights punctuating each room throughout the night. Look­ing around that sprawling city, a visiting Martian could surmise that one of Los Angeles’ purposes is to waste energy any way it can —…

The following is an open, letter to members of Congress: DEAR MEMBER: With report after report of de­clining economic condi­tions, massive economic waste and concentrated corporate power, many peo­ple are asking what Con­gress is going to do for the consumer. Back in 1784, Adam Smith wrote: “Consumption is the purpose of all production, and the…

It was done so quietly a few days ago in Richmond, Va. But it may spread to: ether states if citizens are not alert. House bill 13-19 was drop­ped into the state legislative hopper by delegate L. Ray Ashworth at the request of the Virginia Electric & Power Co. The bill would permit Vepco to…

Consumers who spend hundreds of hours a year earning money to pay for their food purchases will not spend 10 hours a year learn­ing about what foods to buy and what foods to avoid. Yet consumers are com­plaining strenuously about rising food prices, inade­quate nutrition, suspicious fillers and additives and agribusiness deals such as the…

In the category of things that have been taken for granted for too long, try the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). For years millions of Americans have ordered or used the numerous pamphlets, reports, hearings and other government documents, led by the all-time government bestseller — “Infant Care.” But now, hard times have befallen both…

While consumers are worried about today’s high energy prices, the giant oil industry cartel is planning for tomorrow’s price spiral by moving to control all energy sources. Already in control of natural gas, which comprises nearly a third of U.S. energy consumption, the oil companies dominate over half of the uranium reserves and twenty percent…

Almost daily, big indus­try’s top executives are de­manding a moratorium or drastic slowdown in the country’s efforts to advance the health and safety of its citizens. Albert W. Turner was once an executive with Southern California Gas Co. Today, as chairman of the California Occupational Safety and Health Stand­ards Board, he has lashed out at…

Almost daily, big indus­try’s top executives are de­manding a moratorium or drastic slowdown in the country’s efforts to advance the health and safety of its citizens. In the process of excusing their own mismanagement and shortsightedness, these corporate bosses are coor­dinating a powerful drive to make the peoples’ health and safety the first area of…

Can consumers in Michigan change the position of Sen. Robert Griffin (R-Mich.) against the consumer protec­tion bill (S. 707) in time to enact this important inflation-fighter before Con­gress goes home this month? This interesting experiment in de­mocracy is now going on throughout Michigan with our support and en­couragement. Petitioners are asking citizens to sign manifestos…