The Lopez Island Coal Hard Truth Forum is Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6 p.m. Currently, one of the nation’s largest coal companies, Peabody Energy, is working on a massive coal export terminal at Cherry Point, just north of Bellingham, Wash. Coal is the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Being a gateway for coal export would fly in the face of our region’s leadership in the clean energy economy, and shipping up to a hundred million tons of coal a year to Asia on massive cape-size tankers could drastically impact the health and beauty of our Puget Sound waters.

We need to power past coal. We can do better — keeping our local economies strong and the places we love intact for our families. The costs to our health, quality of life and our home towns are too high.

This Coal Hard Truth forum will feature expert panelists discussing the health and environmental impacts of this activity and will also feature a public question and answer session. The forum will be moderated by Matt Krogh, North Sound Baykeeper with RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.

Sponsored by The Power Past Coal Coalition — Climate Solutions, Earth Justice, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Sierra Club, Washington Environmental Council, and the Western Organization of Resource Councils.

For more info, visit www.powerpastcoal.org.