SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 31 - Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis has been voted 2008’s Fossil Fool of the Year in an online contest sponsored by Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Energy Action Coalition and Co-op America. Lewis was nominated for the award because of Bank of America’s massive support for dirty coal. The financial giant is the leading financial backer of mountaintop removal coal mining in the United States and a top funder of new coal-fired power plants.

Overall, more than 6,000 people participated in the contest, and Lewis won a clear plurality in the Fossil Fool of the Year category by taking 30 percent of the vote. His competition for this year’s top prize included General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Dynegy CEO Bruce Williamson, and Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach.

“Ken Lewis faced a who’s who list of polluters, but voters deemed him the worst of a very deserving crop. We’ll see if he’s as willing to accept responsibility for his company’s role in the climate crisis as he is to accept praise for its minimal environmental efforts,” said Rebecca Tarbotton, director of RAN’s Global Finance Campaign, which is pressuring Bank of America to stop funding the coal industry.

The Fossil Fools Awards, or “Foolies,” were established as a means for citizens to voice their discontent with America’s current energy priorities. Several other corporate and political leaders were recognized for their contributions to our devastating global addiction to fossil fuels. Categories and winners were as follows:

Outstanding Performance in Corporate Greenwashing: GM CEO Rick Wagoner, for his company’s creation of GMNext.com, a website designed to promote GM’s environmental progress even as the company attempted to block the efforts of California and 11 other states to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

Most Inauspicious Newcomer: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) CEO Patricia Woertz, for her company’s newfound recognition as a massive contributor to global warming for its role in clearing pristine rainforests around the world for the production of soy and palm oil, in part for biofuels. Biofuels produced on newly cleared land result in more climate-changing carbon emissions than traditional fossil fuels.

Biggest Human Toll: Cargill CEO Gregory R. Page, for the agribusiness giant’s displacement of frontline communities throughout South America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific to make way for the expansion of its massive soy and palm oil plantations.

Lifetime Achievement: George Bush and Dick Cheney, for their persistent efforts to deny the reality and impacts of global climate change, promote carbon-intensive energy solutions, and block progress toward curbing climate change.

The full listing of nominees and a breakdown of voting is available at www.fossilfools08.org/vote.  

Several runners-up in today’s contest are being held accountable for their companies’ polluting practices as well. For example, Dynegy CEO Bruce Williamson is being targeted by activists in Houston today for Dynegy’s unceasing promotion of dirty coal power, which includes plans to build more coal plants than any other U.S. power company. Dominion Power CEO Thomas Farrell, a Most Inauspicious Newcomer nominee, will face protests today for his company’s plans to build a new coal-fired power plant in Virginia at the expense of investments in renewable energy sources. Top oil executives will also be presented Foolies awards during a hearing before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming tomorrow in Washington, D.C.

"We need every one of the Fossil Fool nominees to stop fooling around with our future and start showing the bold leadership necessary to avert a climate crisis," said Brianna Cayo Cotter of the Energy Action Coalition. "Youth from around the world are demanding a clean, just energy future, and it's time corporate executives and politicians stopped standing in our way."

From North Dakota to New Zealand, thousands of young people are taking action this Fossil Fools Day to disrupt dirty energy as usual and promote clean energy solutions.

For more information, visit www.fossilfools08.org.

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