Houston is stepping off on coal and global warming.
This week, various energy companies hosted a “Presidential Forum” on energy issues in Houston Texas. You may be surprised to find out that none of the remaining presidential contenders support moratoriums on coal fired power plants and, generally, have pretty weak positions on energy and global warming.
So this week, in the midst of a heated primary election in Texas, Hillary Clinton joined a bunch of industry bigwigs for dinner and, for what I am sure was, sassy conversation.
Outside the more elite circles of power and privilege, local organizers held a counter-forum on energy, coal and climate called “Coal Moratorium Now”. Folks fighting coal from around the country met and educated one another about the different struggles to stop strip mining, polluting of communities and the burning up of the atmosphere.
The “Coal Moratorium Now” conference topped of their two days in Houston with a protest outside the “Presidential Forum.” About 100 people joined the protest.
In some of these pictures you can see where Ole King Coal and his minions came out and tried to put down the anti-coal uprising. 
He even sang us a song.
I’m Ole King Coal
I’m a dirty scoundrel
A dirty scoundrel I be
Regulations I squelch
And filth I belch
As far as can be seen
Go breathe CO2
Until you turn blue
Ha! If you know what I mean
‘Cause when it comes to coal
The truth be told
There is no such thing as clean!
I’m Ole King Coal
I’m a nasty old soul
A soul that does as he pleases
I blow up mountain tops
I make rivers stop
I fill your kids with lung diseases
Your coal moratorium
I say ho-hum
Your politicians are corporate clowns
But if the people found out
What I was all about
They’d run me out of town!
UPDATE TO POST: In my haste to post this blog, I forgot the awesome work that RAN Houston did on this conf. and action. They’ve been doing great work with Houston climate and anti-coal activists. Way to go!
