President Obama is in no danger of being judged by history as an eco-radical.

Americans don't pay much attention to environmental issues, because they aren't sexy. I mean, cleaning up coal plants and reining in outlaw frackers is hugely important work, but it doesn't get anybody's pulse racing.

Extracting oil from the tar sands is a nasty, polluting, energy-intensive business.

Ethanol doesn't burn cleaner than gasoline, nor is it cheaper.

Have we failed to slow global warming pollution in part because climate and environmental activists have been too polite and well behaved?

Compared to coal, which generates almost half the electricity in the United States, natural gas is indeed a cleaner, less polluting fuel. But compared to, say, solar, it's filthy. And of course there is nothing renewable about natural gas.

Bloomberg's $50 million is not going to revolutionize the electric power industry. But his willingness to fight is already inspiring others to see Big Coal differently.