Coal Campaign Pulled After Heavy Criticism

'Worse Than Joe Camel'

"This is the most cynical ploy that I've ever seen from the industry. It's worse than Joe Camel selling cigarettes," Perks told ABCNews.com.

Along with several other environmental groups, Perks' organization last week launched The Reality Coalition, a grass-roots public awareness effort to dispel the myth of clean coal.

The coalition's primary message is that coal cannot be considered clean until its carbon dioxide emissions, which are contributing to global warming, are captured and stored. That process mitigates global warming by capturing and storing underground carbon dioxide emitted from coal plants.

Despite test projects in the United States, no coal plant in the country has fully integrated the process. The first power plant in the world to do so opened in Germany this fall.

"I think people have to realize that there is no such thing as clean coal," Perks said. "You might as well believe in unicorns if you believe in clean coal."

But coal industry representatives argued their strategy was intended to raise public awareness about the benefits of coal-generated technology in a different and more light-hearted way.

"This is obviously a very serious subject," said Joe Lucas, vice president of ACCCE. "There has been a lot of engagement this year in the policy dialogue with the presidential campaign. This was an opportunity to sit back and not be so serious for once."

He said the campaign was "a little tongue in cheek," but was intended to drive home the message that coal is affordable as an energy option, abundant in resources and generates jobs.

"Let's face it, coal has not been the gift of choice for Christmases past," said Lucas. But, as energy costs go up, "this is the year that people are probably happy to get coal in their stocking."

He wasn't surprised that environmental groups had expressed dismay at the campaign, but said the groups were "moving the goal post of what is clean coal technology."