Article: It’s Sick’: Trump Administration Uses Mascot Called ‘Coalie’ to Push Dirtiest Fossil Fuel In politics, imagery often shapes public conversation long before policy does — a mascot on a billboard can sometimes say more than a hundred speeches. This week, the Trump administration unveiled “Coalie,” a cartoon lump of coal with wide eyes and oversized gloves, as a symbolic figurehead for its push to revitalize the U.S. coal industry and spotlight that effort within its broader energy agenda.
The anthropomorphic character, introduced in a social media post by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, is described by officials as a “spokesperson” for the administration’s American Energy Dominance Agenda.” Coalie — often depicted in a helmet and boots with a cheerful grin — is featured in AI‑generated images engaging in daily activities and highlighting reclaimed mining lands, part of an effort to reframe the narrative around coal mining.
To supporters within the administration, Coalie represents a revitalized coal sector, one they argue contributes to reliable energy and jobs in mining communities. The character has appeared across federal agency platforms, including imagery on the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) website, where it is presented amid projects such as mine cleanup and community redevelopment.
Yet, the mascot has drawn intense criticism from environmental groups and climate activists, who view the effort not as light‑hearted imagery but as a symbolic attempt to sanitize an industry widely regarded as the dirtiest fossil fuel. Coal combustion remains a major contributor to carbon emissions, toxic air pollution, and climate change, and its health impacts — from respiratory diseases to black lung among miners — are well‑documented by public health researchers.
Critics argue that deploying a cartoonish figure to promote coal — often amid rollback of environmental protections and halting planned coal plant closures — belies the science linking coal to climate and health harms. “I think it’s sick … to use AI to put a smiling face on one of the most heinous ways to produce energy our world has ever seen,” said one long‑time coal‑region activist, reflecting a broader backlash among communities affected by both fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts.
The Coalie episode also spotlights the broader tension in U.S. energy policy, where debates over economic livelihoods, national energy security, environmental protection, and global climate commitments often converge. As the nation’s energy mix continues to evolve — with wind, solar, and natural gas increasingly outpacing coal — the symbolic effort embodied by Coalie may underscore a deeper question about how policymakers balance tradition, transition, and environmental stewardship in public dialogue.
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🧾 Sources • The Guardian • Brasil em Folhas / translated reporting • inkl / aggregated international coverage