The coal industry has spent over $40 million on misleading advertising that touts coal as the next great thing to solve the energy crisis. It’s time for a reality check. Check out our video debunking coal ads and the topics to the left to learn more about the deception of coal.

A real life tragic wake up call to the ‘clean coal’ myth came on December 22, 2008, when a dam for a coal ash waste failed at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. The spill released 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash sludge and contaminated water into the surrounding rivers and 300 acres of land. The spill will continue to leach and channel toxic chemicals into those two rivers and other groundwater whenever it rains. Learn more about the disaster and the action the Sierra Club is taking here.

-Harriman photos courtesy Dave Cooper, Lane Boldman and Lyndsay Moselely.