THE MUSICIANS UNITED FOR SAFE ENERGY FOUNDATION, INC. (MUSE) will use proceeds from a series of "No Nukes" concerts-held in New York Square Garden in late September-to provide funding for qualified groups that are working to stop nuclear power.
MOTHER KNOWS BETTER: A representative of one of the major oil companies claimed-during a recent Los Angeles television interview-that drastic mechanical changes would have to be made on the average American car for it to run on alcohol. He also stated that the petroleum firms will require $10 billion in government subsidies if they're to develop an alternative source of liquid fuel.
DIFFERENT PRIORITIES: Right after the U.S. Senate voted $500 million in loan guarantees for "demonstration" alcohol fuel plants, the Brazilian government announced that it will Invest $5 billion-through 1985-in its alcohol fuel program.
MEANWHILE: A spokesman for the Ford Motor Company, which is one of the corporations planning to produce vehicles in Brazil that will burn 100% alcohol, said that they were "tuned in" with that country's switch to the fuel ... "So, whatever it takes," Ford promises, "we're going to comply." (Fiat already has "alcoholic cars" coming off its South American production lines.)
BUT, THERE'S NOTHING NEW: Back in 1930, an ad directed at Manila sugar growers claimed: "The new Stude-baker trucks are now built to use alcohol instead of gasoline, a saving to you of 45% in fuel."
COOL, MAN! A stereo LP entitled "Environments Disc Eleven" supposedly reduces the need for air conditioning on warm days and lessens heating requirements on cold ones. Sounds of a winter blizzard, rattling windows, a roaring fireplace, and a thunderstorm are claimed to have kept oil technicians cool in desert heat, and the same sound effects were-it's said-found to "warm up" a cool room. Check your record store or write to Syntonic Research, Inc., Dept. TMEN, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010 for more information.
BIG BUSINESS: Standard Oil of Indiana has purchased a minority interest in Solarex Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer of photovoltaic (solar/ electric) energy systems.
INSIDE JOB: One of the Environmental Defense Fund's economists, Dr. Wayne Wiley, did a "highly regarded" financial analysis which showed that the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (the second largest utility in the U.S.) could cut 90% of its planned new nuclear and coal plants by shifting investments to presently available alternative energy sources ... and meet all its projected energy needs at lower cost to both the company and the public!
UP, UP, AND AWAY! Although the U.S. has the world's largest proven reserve of helium, nearly all of this valu able element irretrievably lost into the atmosphere in 20 years ... unless conservation efforts start im mediately. Helium is currently vented into the air during the production of natural gas, since present laws and gas industry practices don't encourage extraction and storage.
THE "SOLAR SIX-HOLER" is the name given to the nation's first solar-powered public bathroom, which opened this past summer at Narragansett, Rhode Island. A battery of rooftop solar panels is the only source of both heat and hot water for the $21,000 colonial-style facility, which the city fathers consider "educational" ... since it gives people a chance to see solar heating in action.
LOW-LEVEL RADIATION DANGERS: Dr. Ernest J. Sternglass, Director of Radiological Physics at the University of Pittsburg, reports that "there was a sudden and unexplained rise in infant deaths, in leukemia, and-many years later-in various types of cancers" in cities which have had a nuclear power plant operating nearby.
NO CONFIDENCE: Ninety-four percent of the American public favor strong efforts to develop solar energy, but 57% think that the country will never come up with a solution to the problem of energy shortages.
THEY'D RATHER DO IT THEMSELVES: Bill and Delores Randolph of Xenia, Ohio aren't waiting for the government to solve the energy crisis. Besides using a windmill in their yard (which supplies all their electrical needs) and wood heat in the living room, Bill-an electrical engineer at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-plans to produce enough alcohol to power a backup furnace and is converting his truck to run on the fuel.
NO ALTERNATIVES! Transportation Secretary Brock Adams points out that, "If we had a 10% shift of people away from their automobiles, it would swamp us and overload the public transportation system".... A SOLAR ENERGY EDUCATION SURVEY -covering courses currently being offered in the U.S.-is available for $11 from SERI, Dept. TMEN, 1536 Colorado Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401.... MICROWAVE OVENS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR CANNING, since the uneven heat transfer may cause glass jars to explode and-even if the containers don't burst-food at the center of some jars may never reach the sterilization point.... Sales of GASSAVING MOPEDS are up almost 50% over last year.... In the U.S., it takes 20-30 calories of energy to produce one calorie of food, while the Chinese use only ONE CALORIE OF ENERGY (mostly human) to produce as much as 30 calories of food.
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