This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 10, 2010 - Environmental activists concerned about the Republican gains in Congress, including the takeover in the U.S. House, are staging several protests this week to remind energy producers that the debate is not over.
About a dozen activists with Repower Missouri conducted a mock "awards ceremony'' at noon today near the downtown office of Peabody Energy, among the winners of a "Snake Oil Award for Public Deception."
Although small, the group's issues are major. Gretchen Wieland with Repower Missouri said the event was among several held this week around the country to gig oil and coal companies who, according her group, "have spent a shocking amount of money on lobbying, campaign donations and advertising to try and stop America from moving away from dirty, dangerous fuels."
"In short, they have been selling the American people a very dirty brand of snake oil," Repower's statement says.
Also involved was an allied group, Missouri Votes Conservation. Ed Smith, a coordinator with Missouri Votes, asserted at the mock ceremony that Peabody embodied the energy interests who environmentalists suspect -- and some energy companies confirm -- provided some of the anonymous donations that fueled the millions of dollars in anti-Democratic TV ads run by various independent conservative groups.
Environmentalists are seeking to resurrect their issues, Smith added, particularly with Congress planning a lame duck session run by Democrats before Republicans take control of the U.S. House.
"We want to put the focus back on energy and stave off attacks of the EPA," Smith said.
Wieland took note of this summer's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Besides Peabody, which was singled out, other "snake oil" nominees included: Ameren, City Utilities of Springfield and KC Power & Light.
National nominees include: BP America, Massey Energy, Koch Industries and The American Petroleum Institute.
Since mid-2009, the GOP has been hammering at the energy bill that passed the U.S. House and proposed a so-called "cap-and-trade" system aimed at reducing harmful emissions. Although originally backed by many Republicans, "cap and trade" was a key issue attacked by the GOP during the 2010 elections.
Critics contend that cap and trade -- effectively killed by the U.S. Senate -- would have imposed higher energy costs, particularly in states like Missouri and Illinois that rely on coal.
Meg Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Peabody, said later today that her company does want to reduce pollution. "Peabody is proud to offer very real solutions to meet Missouri's and the world's energy needs," she said. "Here in Missouri we get more than 80 percent of our electricity from coal. The Missouri Public Service Commission credits coal as the primary reason we pay a fraction of the energy costs of consumers in other states."
"Peabody is proud of our award-winning environmental and safety record, proud to supply affordable, reliable energy and proud to be a global leader in clean coal solutions," she added. "We are advancing more than a dozen low-carbon projects and partnerships around the world toward our ultimate goal: near-zero emissions from coal."
