I'm steering this blog toward focusing on political actions (in the broadest sense of public improvement) that people can take to actually improve things. I hope this approach serves as a resource for not only "involved citizens" but also journalists, advocacy groups, businesses, government officials, and many others.

So, I've added a link to the site called "ACTION ALERTS - ALL" and will work hard to keep it updated.

ACTION ALERT
Oppose "Clean" Coal. It's Dirty! A blue-chip list of environmental groups announced on Wednesday that they've formed a coalition -- "This Is Reality" -- to counter the disgraceful public relations ploy by the coal industry that we have a "clean coal" alternative. Coal, in any form, is intensely dirty, yet the industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to convince us it's not. Even if we could figure out how to bury the carbon it produces, the energy intensity of doing this is unfathomable. With the the push by the new "This Is Reality" coalition, it's a great time to be remind our legislators to refer to coal differently...

• Don't call it "Clean" Coal, even when opposing it! It's "Dirty Coal" or "Killer Coal" from now on. As Joe Romm states perfectly (read the post!), "You can't debunk a myth by verbally repeating it. ... When people find a claim familiar because of prior exposure but do not recall the original context or source of the claim, they tend to think that claim is true."
• The best way to oppose killer coal in New Jersey is to kick Scott Garrett out of Congress in 2010. He has an environment-destroying record, and he loves Killer Coal. Any alternative in NJ's 5th Congressional District will help us live in a healthier world.
  

Related Articles - Most Recent (And see "Labels" at right for more).