Ahh, the Sierra Club. Protecting people from power plants since 1892. Huh? How many power plants were there in 1892 anyways? Not many would be the answer. Weren't they formed to protect the forests and woodlands? How did you get so far away from your original mission? You may want to go back and re-read what your founders said. I digress, onto business...we need energy folks. Yes, coal is not the best way but it beats living in a cave. Trust me, I know. I will say this once...each and every means of making energy has both a plus side and a negative side. No one (other than possible Tesla) has ever invented anything that is all positive. Instead of continually fighting why not help energy companies in a positive direction by offering assistance, guidance, sweat and hard work? Seriously, you need to all be in this together. Otherwise, Mother Earth will send you the way of the Dragon. -Dragon

Sierra Club's mission is and was to protect and preserve as much of the natural environment as possible.  Because power plants destroy the naturual environment by extracting & burning fuels, destroying natural habitat, and killing native plants and animals, it certainly is within Sierra Club's mission to oppose them.

Cool the firebreath buddy. Have you heard of mercury by any chance? Take a look at orca or maybe alaskan innuits and the salmon they rely on....some of the highest concentrations of mercury in the world, not b/c of any fault of their own. Sierra was very instrumental in informing people of Bush's ridiculous mercury rule and thankfully it has now been overturned. One less layer of BS to clean off our laws after this 8 years of hell is over. I hope the coal barons appreciate this mother's day gift. Go Sierra!

The Sierra Club must not only continue but dramatically increase this crucial work of stopping coal.  All kinds of energy may have downsides, as Dragon notes above, but there's one helluva difference between degrees of evil, and it matters.  Huge savings in efficiency can be achieved with some initial investment that will pay for itself over time.  Wind and solar are vastly safer and cleaner than fossil fuel energy, and wind power is now cost-competitive.  There is no reason in the world for this nation to be blowing up mountains and destroying streams to burn coal, the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions and neurotoxic mercury in the US.  Finally, Dragon, global warming presents one of the largest threats to those wild places the Club was fighting to protect in 1892.  And still is.