Posted on 06/10/2015 7:20:57 PM PDT by GSWarrior
Businesses nix New Belgium in controversy over coal mine
Several Craig-area businesses cut off New Belgium Brewery’s products after learning the craft beer maker is listed as a supporter of the environmental group that filed suit challenging a Moffat County coal mine.
“We no longer carry New Belgium products because of what they stand for,” said Danny Griffith, owner of J.S. Snacks, a Craig restaurant and bar. “We’re not carrying them because of what we stand for. You take the coal out of Craig and you’ve got nothing.”
Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing was “never aware” of the actions WildEarth Guardians was taking on the Colowyo coal mine, a company spokesman said, noting the brewery supported the environmental organization’s work on healthy Colorado watersheds.
WildEarth Guardians alleged in a suit that a federal agency failed to take into account the effects of the Colowyo mine on the global climate. A federal agency has until Sept. 5 to reconsider the mine’s permit, prompting fears the mine will be closed.
Griffith ordered New Belgium products removed from his shelves when a customer told him on Friday that New Belgium is a supporter of WildEarth Guardians, Griffith said. He also had the New Belgium signs pulled from his business.
Lori Gillam of Stockmen’s Liquor, also in Craig, went one better and pulled several Colorado craft beers off her shelves when she saw they were listed as supporters of WildEarth Guardians.
Taking New Belgium beer off her shelf comes at no small price, Gillam said.
“I go through 40 cases of New Belgium a month and this is a very tiny store,” Gillam said.
Her customer swore off the brand, as well, Gillam said.
“We stand strong and we support each other and our town,” Gillam said.
“I’m in the process of getting it off the shelf right now,” said Ryan Duran of Eastside Liquors. “WildEarth Guardians is going after, basically, our town.” A spokesman for the environmental group said the anger is misdirected.
“I get it, they’re frustrated,” said Jeremy Nichols of WildEarth Guardians. “It’s the Interior Department that really dropped the ball” when it issued the mine permit. “We’re not trying to shut down the mine right away, we’re trying to get the Interior Department to do its job.”
New Belgium Brewing was listed among supporters on the WildEarth Guardians website.
The New Belgium boycott has had a backlash in some cases, prompting “some to double down in support of us,” Nichols said.
The U.S. Office of Surface Mining today is to conduct a public meeting in Craig as it tries to meet a September deadline to consider the Colowyo mine’s permit.
I made the front page of the Craig newspaper once.
Shut it down later, one step at a time.
Yeah, right. Who? Name them or it never happened.
Name any brewery (or any company in any industry) that has not done something boycott-worthy.
Uh...should we ask why? ; )
ENVIRO HANGOVER: Craig Store Stops Selling Beer Brand That Funds Local Job LossesPosted on June 9, 2015 by ColoradoPeakPolitics
The chickens are finally coming home to roost for New Belgium Brewery, the beer company that the Peak has railed against since 2012 for being hyperpartisan. Craig Daily Press is reporting that local liquor stores are pulling New Belgium products, as well as several other beer companies, from its shelves after it was discovered that the companies were funding Wild Earth Guardians, which is suing to close down a coal mine in Craig, Colo. The loss of the coal mine would devastate the area as it employs approximately 200 people and provides countless other economic benefits.
Craig liquor store owner Lori Gillam told the Craig Daily Press why she and other local liquor stores are protesting the funders:
“We pulled those beers because their support of WildEarth Guardians… who said their ultimate goal is to shut down coal mines. Craig is a coal mine town.”
It’s about time people woke up to New Belgium’s political meddling. In response to Craig’s economic protest, New Belgium offered this statement:
“At New Belgium Brewing, we support non-profit partners who advocate for healthy watersheds. Wild Earth Guardians first contacted New Belgium in 2008 seeking grant money for restoration projects along the Colorado River. We supported these efforts because Colorado businesses, residents and the environment are dependent upon sound water management,” according to the press release. “Specific to any work Wild Earth Guardians has done regarding the ColoWyo and Trapper mines, we were unaware of it at the time and that is outside the scope of our grant allocations. We have no further funding pending at this time.”
This is complete and utter crap. New Belgium prides itself on only hiring left-leaning individuals and has engaged in countless job-killing activities. For example, in 2012, New Belgium’s chief told the Wall Street Journal:
“In Colorado, executives at New Belgium Brewing Co. have made their political views public. Indeed, CEO Kim Jordan attended the Democratic Convention in Charlotte earlier this year. Favored candidates have also been permitted to hold events at the brewery.
Still, “we try to be really careful to allow everyone to have their own opinion,” says Jenn Vervier, the director of sustainability and strategic planning at the 450-employee company. Because the company considers “cultural fit” when hiring, she says, most staffers tend to agree on partisan issues.”
Then, in 2013, New Belgium signed a letter along with 25 other brewers protesting fracking because it was concerned about water quality, despite the fact that there has never been a documented case of fracking contaminating drinking water.
We would like to believe New Belgium as it pleads ignorance on this matter, but New Belgium has over and over engaged in job-killing, irrational environmental demands. No crying into their beer now.
Fat Tire taste like a tire...No great loss. If businesses want to alienate customers, so be it, but I doubt they’ll be welcomed anymore.
Thank you for posting that. An entire company full of goose-stepping liberals. Not a single drop of New Belgium dishwater will pass my lips ever again.
The mine is probably screwed by Interior and the EPA since the goal of Comrade Obama is to totally destroy the coal mining industry in America and to have it replaced by solar power (ever heard about snow?) and wind power (just another blowjob on the American taxpayer).
I’m glad that somebody in Colorado has the balls to face down the environmental extremists. Most of them are hardcore ignoramuses who follow any leftist bullshit/propaganda that the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, National Wildlife Federation, and Environmental Action/Defense Fund put out.
All of it is based on “global warming” which doesn’t exist instead of working to get new technology which will reduce the emission of mercury and possibly methane from burning coal.
The environmental Left doesn’t give a damned about the human cost of their actions, i.e. putting tens of thousands of miners and support people out of work, esp. in economically depressed areas such as West Virginia, Kentucky, western Pennsylvania and even parts of Ohio.
West Virginia Democrats have paid a heavy price for their blind support of the Democrat Party leftists and environmental frauds and wackjobs.
Perhaps Colorado can regain back some of the “old” America where many people were concerned about the side-effects of their actions. Otherwise, the Luddites and Marxists will win.
Make the Left paid in spades for their extremism and studipity.
PS: I’ve spent over 20 years helping to clean up the environment but too many EPA policies and leaders are FUBAR Marxists and zealots. Nobody wins when they rule.
There is a tremendous need to overhaul the EPA, getting rid of their Marxist and environmental extremist leaders, and putting in people who are rational, sane, and concerned about jobs as well as the environment.
good people!
If we stop drinking or eating things we like from companies that are against our ideals, sorta, then all that’s left is ...????
You should have had the week that I had in Craig, I had no money, only one Army Airborne uniform (Khakis), a fiance, and a Keeshond, and no car.
Luckily, after I took my girlfriend out of the emergency room, after I totaled my 3 day old new car while passing through the county at night, a sweet woman at the motel gave us a free room.
People stared like crazy, which was disturbing at first, because it was during the Vietnam war, but I figured out that they were supportive enough, and that they merely stared because they wanted to look at us, so they did, plus my girlfriend is still described by some people as the most beautiful girl that they have ever met in person.
It was an interesting week, and a young woman gave her wedding dress to my girlfriend, for when we were going to get married at Fort Lewis.
I knew there was a reason why I didn’t like them (besides the fact that their beer sucks).
I know Craig.
Excellent post, Max!
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