VIDEO: Big Oil CEO Agrees to Lobby Against Coal with Sierra Club

Over a year ago, shareholder activist, current Sierra Club director, and past Sierra Club President Larry Fahn challenged the CEO of Chevron to a debate with Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. After a year of dithering and delay from Chevron, Pope and Chevron CEO Dave O'Reilly finally met last night in San Francisco for a debate sponsored by the Commonwealth Club.

The evening featured Amazon Watch protesters outside and quite a few zingers from Pope inside. But one spirited exchange was particularly notable. Not only did Chevron's CEO openly admit that the biggest problem facing serious action in Congress is the coal industry and its powerful lobbyists, but he agreed to join Pope in D.C. to fight against Big Coal and its outsize influence over the Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs plan working its way through Congress.

Watch it:

More highlights from the debate, including video of the protests, from San Francisco's CBS affiliate here.

UPDATE: Here's Carl's own take on the debate.