David Roberts of Grist.org writes in the Nation, "So there you have it: just in the past week, elite opinion against coal has accelerated, two major coal projects have run into embarrassments, and an independent report has confirmed that things are only going to get worse." Power consulting firm Wood MacKensie says that "the rate of coal plant cancellations accelerated during 2007 to the point that more than 50% of the new coal capacity announced since 2000 has now been canceled." On top of that, the cost of building new power plants has increased 130% since the start of the decade. Desperation is palpable in industry's efforts in places like Kansas. After the Sunflower plant was denied a permit last year based on failure to meet air quality requirements, they leaned on their friends in the state legislature to pass a coal-friendly "compromise" bill. When Governor Kathleen Sebelius promised to veto the bill, Sunflower resorted to blatant bribery. The firm says they "will give $2.5 million over 10 years to Kansas State University ... but only if the plant is approved." But what about the promise of "clean coal"? Roberts states that "an official at Royal Dutch Shell said last week that carbon prices would have to reach about $100/tonne -- three times current levels -- before investment in carbon capture and storage would make economic sense."

The coal industry is on the ropes, but is working hard to ensure that regardless of who wins in the November elections, coal will come out on top. Funded by the coal industry, the front group Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) is appealing directly to politicians, but also to the general public that will be voting. "We are out there talking to everybody, from people who are running for president of the United States down to Joe Six-pack," said Joe Lucas of ABEC. ABEC has run several TV ads, including the one above. Among ABEC's other expenditures is $5 million paid to CNN for advertising and co-sponsorship of at least six presidential debates. They are expected to lay out $40 million this year to further their cause -- double their 2007 budget. "With 59 coal power plants scrapped last year, the industry is fighting to make sure it can emerge from the climate change debate with a guaranteed spot in the nation's energy future." As CMD previously reported, ABEC was responsible for 30 santas delivering coal-shaped chocolate to members of Congress at the holidays. For more information on coal, visit the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch.org.

Armstrong WilliamsWho better to turn to for a discussion of journalism ethics than "payola pundit" Armstrong Williams? On February 22, MSNBC Live asked Williams to comment on the New York Times article about presidential candidate and Senator John McCain's ties to a telecom lobbyist. "What it does more than anything else," Williams replied, "it causes those of us in the media to lose credibility. People begin to question what we print, whether there's any truth to it, whether we do our research." He left out one important question: what we're paid to promote. Williams was a subcontractor on a 2004 agreement between the U.S. Education Department and the PR firm Ketchum. He promoted the controversial "No Child Left Behind" legislation on television and radio, without disclosing that he was being paid to do so. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission cited Williams and proposed fines against Sinclair Broadcast Group and Sonshine Family Television, for airing the Williams segments.

As the debate over Canada's military mission in Afghanistan continues, the country's "Department of National Defence is ... spending millions of dollars sponsoring think tanks and scholars to offer up agreeable commentary," writes University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran. "Take the Conference of Defence Associations, a think tank that got $500,000 from DND last year. ... A current DND policy reads that to receive money, CDA must 'support activities that give evidence of contributing to Canada's national polices.'" CDA's annual conference featured "no opposition politicians," and its executive director said the DND "contract obliges it 'to write a number of op-eds to the press.'" DND also "sponsors policy scholars, who create the ideas, news and views that shape Canadians' perception of the military and the war. ... When DND needs a kind word in Parliament or the media -- presto! -- a [DND]-sponsored scholar often appears, without disclosing his or her financial link." Attaran calls for full disclosure and a system "to award [DND] grants on an arm's-length basis." He adds, "Canada needs fresh ideas -- not groupthink -- to win."

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