The Coen Brothers are known for the Academy Award-winning dark farce, such as Fargo and No Country for Old Men. Now they’ll be known for their unique brand sarcastic activism.
Joel and Ethan Coen recently filmed a TV informercial, arguing that coal is not, in fact, an eco-friendly way to produce electricity. Starring a Bob Barker-esque host demonstrating the “benefits” of toxic “clean coal”, the Brothers’ short is a 50’s-themed, 30-second spoof that will sure to have you both laughing and thinking.
We can thank the Reality Coalition, a partner of the Alliance for Climate Protection, for the Brothers’ small screen directorial debut. The group states on its website:
Coal cannot be called ‘clean’ until its CO2 emissions are captured and stored safely. Let’s be clear: There are no U.S. homes, factories, shopping centers or churches powered by coal plants that capture and store their global warming pollution.
They argue not that clean coal cannot exist, just that it doesn’t – yet. But perhaps the bros have hit a funny bone, one that will inspire the Obama administration, a major proponent for clean coal engineering, to get on it.
The Center for American Progress released research two months ago stating that although coal companies could take strides towards carbon capture and storage – a “promising” form of clean coal technology – they have not been dishing out the dollars to do so. Again, perhaps a part of Obama’s stimulus package will help this movement along.
Until then, Coen & Coen will continue to film shorts for the Reality Coalition, and their message could only go one of two ways: coal companies will feel forced (Amen!) to implement clean coal technology into their blueprints for the future, or viewers (and coal companies accordingly) will find the task impossible. Hopefully for us, it’ll be the former.
XO, The Green Gamine
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