Please support the citizens of Appalachia whose homes are being destroyed by mountaintop removal by boycotting Wendy's.
Update: Wendy's has taken down the Friends of Coal stickers only to replace them with something worse: signs promoting the group Coal Mining Our Future and their campaign "Coal for Kids." Coal Mining Our Future is a Kentucky based pro-mountaintop removal organization. They claim that "Coal for Kids" is an effort to raise money for local children. It is clear to impacted residents that "Coal for Kids" is propaganda that Wendy's should not be promoting.
To imply that mountaintop removal is good for the kids who live around it is appalling!
Please join our boycott of Wendy's until it stops.
For updates and to see other supporters of mountaintop removal, visit the facebook group "Boycott mountaintop removal supporters" at
http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?v=info&ref=ts&gid=96066883455**below is the original text**
After several discussions with Wendy's International (614-764-3100), I learned that they have no plans of removing the Friends of Coal signs currently displayed in 35 of their Restaurants.
The coal industry created the PR front group Friends of Coal primarily to change the meaning of pro-coal to pro-mountaintop removal. The organization spends millions in pro-mountaintop removal propaganda and lobbying efforts. Though touted as a grass-roots campaign, FOC actually gets most of its funding from corporations.
Wendy's said they realized they would be the subject of a national boycott but did not seem to care. Apparently they do not know that awareness about mountaintop removal is spreading, and that more and more people are ready to take a stand any way they can against this repulsive practice.
Though Wendy's maintains that they cannot force the 35 restaurants to take down the signs, they refused to release a public statement saying they do not support mountaintop removal. Quite the contrary, Wendy's claimed that mountaintop removal is not a political issue but an economic necessity for communities in Appalachia. Needless to say, this is a slap in the face to the thousands who have lost or are in the process of losing their homes, forests, water, and livelihoods.
Moreover, I find it hard to believe that Wendys cannot control the images displayed in its stores. After all, the FOC emblems are right up there with the little picture of Wendy herself. If there was a big sign supporting something they found offensive, I have no doubt they would hasten to take it down.
Please join the people impacted by mountaintop removal and boycott Wendy's everywhere.
For updates and to see other supporters of mountaintop removal, visit the facebook group "Boycott mountaintop removal supporters" at
http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?v=info&ref=ts&gid=96066883455