Here’s an ad from the 1960s that Mad Men’s Don Draper might have dreamt up, before dashing off to a three-martini lunch. In it, the oil company Humble (which would later become Exxon) boasts that, “This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries. Yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies—if converted into heat—could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second!"

Times have changed, as evidenced by Exxon’s latest ad campaign touting its research into greenhouse gas-reducing algae. But an investigation into U.S. energy policy in the October 2010 issue of Consumer Reports finds there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Check back next week—when the issue will be online and on newsstands—for the full details.

—Daniel DiClerico

Image courtesy of Sociological Images