Clean Coal PR blitz falling flat in Denver

People attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week are the target of a $2 million advertising and PR blitz by a coal industry-funded front group called the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) whose goal is to sell the idea that coal is somehow clean.

Unfortunately for ACCCE it looks like people just aren't buying their coal is clean and green message.

One of my sources at the Dem's convention this week told me this morning that even people hired by ACCCE to hand out free swag aren't buying into ACCCE's propaganda. Nancy Laplaca with Energy Justice told me this morning that when one of the women hired by ACCCE to hand out free t-shirts was asked whether she believed coal can really be clean, she stated that she really doubted it.

When a guy touting an ACCCE clean coal t-shirt was asked a similar question, he replied, "hey, it's only a t-shirt."

Ouch.

ACCCE will also be in St. Paul for the Republican convention next week.

As Matthew Lewis at the Center Public Integrity points out, "as for the ACCCE coalition -- it was founded this year solely to address the advancing legislation aimed at cutting the emissions of fossil fuels like coal that are blamed for global warming."

Outside of ACCCE's activities at the DNC, the front group has spent spent $4.7 million on lobbying so far this year -- more than any other organization that described itself in disclosure forms as devoted exclusively to influencing climate change legislation.

Here's some facts on the dirty side of coal.