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.

Coal boosters like to tout coal as cheap and plentiful - well, not anymore. At least not in China.

The coal industry is an even larger part of the Australian economy than it is of the American, and it has an enormous amount of political power.

So if you want to know how Exxon Mobil can make $10 billion profit in 90 days, just look around. The whole world was built for them.

It's not all Obama's fault: His plans to rebuild America's energy infrastructure have been hampered by the recession, and his efforts on global warming have been stymied by Tea Party wackos and weak-kneed Democrats in Congress.

Some studies suggest that the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free by the end of the century.

When it comes to energy, cost isn't everything - but it's a lot. Everybody wants cheap power.