The coal-industry group Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy, which doesn’t actually allow families to join [1], has a wonderfully crappy coloring book for children. Let’s have a look!
Plot, character development, and drawings that kids would actually want to color don’t seem to be priorities for "Eyes for Frosty [2]." At least it picks a relevant topic in snowmen—they won’t be around for long if the coal industry succeeds in stomping all over climate change legislation [3]. And kids will be stuck with the consequences of our fossil-fuel pollution, so it sort of makes sense to at least leave them with a coloring book.
All Images: Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy [4]
It should be clear already: the artist’s heart just isn’t in this.
Meet Power Rock and his sidekick Spurt.
[Skipping boring stuff about prehistoric sediment]
But where did the mountaintops go?
Spurt finally gets some screen time.
Power Rock’s eyes get more evil-looking in each frame.
Wait, they can fly? Come back Power Rock! Come back Spurt!
Now go check out some real climate art [5].
Update: Alert reader SOLARKISMET informs us the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity runs an annual Coal Calendar Art & Essay Contest [6]for middle schoolers. It's sad, but these student artists show more talent [7] than the "Eyes for Frosty" creator. Why, Illinois, why?
From: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-19-coal-coloring-book-teaches-kids-about-dirty-energy/ [8]
Links:
[1] http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-19-families-not-allowed-in-families-for-coal-group
[2] http://www.families4pacoal.org/includes/cbook_online_v2.html
[3] http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-17-coal-industry-downplays-ccs-prospects-senate
[4] http://www.families4pacoal.org/index.cfm
[5] http://www.grist.org/article/series/2009-art-in-a-changing-climate
[6] http://www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/Bureaus/Coal/Education/coal+calendar+contest.htm
[7] http://www.commerce.state.il.us/NR/rdonlyres/2DB82D3A-10A3-4366-A7C4-1F2E7CACD80A/0/2009COALCALENDARPOSTERS.pdf
[8] http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-19-coal-coloring-book-teaches-kids-about-dirty-energy/