Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the League of Conservation Voters have launched a “Reality Coalition” to tell the American public that there is no “clean coal”.

“The reality is that there’s not a single home or business in America today powered by clean coal,” said Brian Hardwick of the Alliance for Climate Protection. “If coal really wants to be part of America’s energy future, the industry can start by making a real commitment to eliminating their pollution that is a leading cause of global warming.”

Hardwick continued: “It is high time for the coal industry to come clean and admit to the American people that today clean coal is not a reality. No matter how much they say it in their advertising, coal can’t truly be clean until the plants can capture global warming pollution. With so much at stake, we can’t afford to hang our hats on an illusion.”

A multi-million dollar ad campaign featuring ads in print, TV commercials and online ads will help spread the message.

You can take a look at their very first print ad here, which shows a solitary door labelled “Clean Coal Facility Entrance.” Behind the door, though, lies a barren field. “In reality, there’s no such thing as clean coal,” the ad states.

The first TV commercial follows the same theme and can be viewed below:

I do believe the message that there exists no “clean coal” technology got out perfectly clear in both the print and TV ad. But Joe from the Climate Progress blog thinks otherwise:

“Their inaugural ad violates a central rule of messaging, rhetoric, and psychology: Don’t keep repeating a strong word the other side is trying to push.”

What do you think about the advertisements? Will they do a good job debunking the “clean coal” lie?