23,984
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
SW: removed faulty ref
[[FACES of Coal]], which stands for Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security, is a coal industry [[front group]]. The group, which is affiliated with [[West Virginia Coal Association]] front group [[Friends of Coal]],<ref name="wvns">[http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=64992 "FACES of Coal Plans to Highlight Industry’s Importance,"] WVNS-TV, August 20, 2009.</ref> launched in August 2009. The group is attempting to gain support for the coal industry as climate change legislation works its way through Congress.<ref name="sax">Michelle Saxton, [http://www.dailymail.com/Business/200908190948 "Another pro-coal group enters the energy debate,] ''Charleston Daily Mail,'' August 20, 2009.</ref>
FACES of Coal claims its membership includes 70 different coal and non-coal organizations, businesses, and individuals, including representatives of the tourism industry and state and county governments.<ref name="sax"/> However, its website provides no list of members.<ref>[http://www.facesofcoal.org FACES of Coal,] accessed August 2009.</ref> The group describes itself as "an alliance of people from all walks of life"<ref name="abt"/> and a "grassroots movement" to communicate the importance of coal in the U.S. to legislators and the general public.<ref>[http://www.facesofcoal.org/?p=574 "FACES of Coal Campaign Launches in Charleston,"] FACES of Coal, August 19, 2009.</ref> However, the "faces" featured on the group’s website -- including a woman working at a flower shop, a boy playing golf with his father, a family walking with a baby by a white picket fence, a fireman, and a grandmother waving an American flag -- turned out to be royalty-free stock photos from a company called iStockphoto.<ref>Kate Sheppard, [http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-20-who-are-the-faces-behind-faces-for-coal/ "Who are the faces behind FACES of Coal?,"] Grist, August 20, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/frontporch/blogposts/farces_of_coals_fake_supporters/ "FACES of Coal are iStockPhotos?!,"] Appalachian Voices Front Porch Blog, August 26, 2009.</ref>
==[[Astroturf blogging]]==
