Climb Against Coal is a group from Washington State using mountain-related media stunts to promote an end to coal burning. Specifically, they are protesting the TransAlta coal plant near Mount Ranier that is the single worst point source of pollution in Washington State. Each year, it emits about 10 megatonnes of carbon dioxide. In a broader context, Climb Against Coal is supporting the Sierra Club’s ‘Washington Beyond Coal’ campaign.

As reported on It’s Getting Hot in Here, last weekend “a support team laid out a nearly 75,000 square foot ‘No Coal’ banner on the Inner Glacier.” Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. Mercury emissions from the coal plant fall on the snowfield, which in turn feed the entire Puget Sound watershed.

Ultimately, the push against coal as a fuel needs to succeed globally. These sorts of local efforts are encouraging, where concerned citizens recognize the harm that burning coal is doing to their community and to others around the world and demand that superior options be chosen instead.