During last month's debacle of a PR stunt -- cartoon coal chunks singing parody holiday carols -- I remarked that I hadn't seen anything this cynical since Joe Camel shilled cigarettes.

Leave it to Peabody to blur the distinction even more with its new advertisement.  The Reality Coalition lets you see for yourself:  meet Cool Coal.

Yet another black smudge on industry's efforts to re-brand dirty coal as" clean."