By Kerry Trueman

Kansas gave the coal industry a black eye last month when it became the first state to reject a proposed coal-fired power plant “solely because of health risks associated with carbon dioxide emissions,” according to Reuters.

Environmentalists were thrilled by the decision, hoping it would set a precedent and inspire more states to scuttle plans for new coal-fired power plants, which are some of the world’s most prodigious producers of greenhouse gases.

But a pro-coal coalition of business, political and industrial leaders are seeking to have the decision reversed, via lawsuits and a newly formed “Astroturf” (i.e., fake grassroots) group called Kansans For Affordable Energy. The head of the group, Bob Kreutzer, told Reuters, “Everybody agrees that motherhood, apple pie and caring about the environment are fantastic”¦but we’ve got to make sure we always have electricity and that is why we need big power plants.”

And if that argument doesn’t sway you, perhaps an ad suggesting that Roderick L. Bremby, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary who rejected the coal plants, is somehow in cahoots with Vladmir Putin, Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will do the trick. As Dave Roberts noted over at Grist, “Nothing like a little overt xenophobia to liven up the energy debate.”