Sierra Club: ‘Coal Knew, Too’, So Stop the Climate Charade

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Huffington Post reported new evidence today that the coal industry knew about the long-term, global impacts of its carbon pollution decades ago, and that the industry has proactively scuttled efforts by elected officials, public health groups, and scientists to address the climate crisis despite its awareness of the dangers.  

The evidence shows that the coal industry knew and privately acknowledged in the 1960s that its carbon pollution was continually heating the Earth’s atmosphere, which would inevitably lead to melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and drastic climate changes across the planet. Despite their knowledge, the coal industry has worked aggressively to delegitimize climate science and efforts to address the current climate crisis in the decades since.    

In response, Mary Anne Hitt, Senior Director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, released the following statement: 

“Exxon knew, and so did Peabody coal. For decades, coal companies and other powerful fossil fuel corporations have known exactly what the long-term effects of their products are, and yet they’ve covered it up all along to protect their bottom line. Now, it’s time for action and accountability from these dirty industries, whose decades of disinformation has been revealed for the scam it is. It’s long past time for the fossil fuel industry to stop the charade and accept the urgency of the transition we must make to an economy powered by clean, renewable energy."