Nowhere has the political power of coal been more obvious than in presidential campaigns.

Among all the tests President Obama faced in his first term, his biggest failure was climate change.

Climate change is a global issue - from the point of view of the Earth's climate, a molecule of CO2 emitted in Bejing is the same as a molecule emitted in Sydney.

In reality, studies show that investments to spur renewable energy and boost energy efficiency generate far more jobs than oil and coal.

In the Arctic, things are already getting freaky. Temperatures have warmed three times faster than the global average.

In the U.S. alone, weather disasters caused $50 billion in economic damages in 2010.

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.