CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER

Sierra Club, with Clorox Deal, Becomes Just Another Corporate Front
22 Corporate Crime Reporter 13, March 26, 2008

Sierra Club used to be an environmental group.

Now, it’s just another corporate front.

Sierra Club formally joined the ranks of corporate front groups earlier this year when it inked a deal with The Clorox Company.

Under the agreement, Sierra Club puts its stamp of approval on Clorox’s Green Works brand of cleaners.

And in return, Clorox gives Sierra Club a portion of the sales.

Sierra Club won’t say how much money it will be getting from Clorox.

For years, under the leadership of Carl Pope, Sierra Club has been edging away from hard nosed environmental defense into the open arms of inside the beltway corporate lobbyists.

Now, Pope has made it official by signing on with the giant corporate miscreant.

In December 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined Clorox $95,000 for distributing an unregistered and mislabeled Chinese version of Clorox Disinfectant Bleach, in violation of federal pesticide law.

The EPA said that Clorox’s Los Angeles production facility donated the illegal disinfectants to Los Angeles charities in 2005 and 2006.

The EPA said the products were intended for Asian export, so the labels lacked adequate English-language directions for use, hazard and precautionary statements, and the required statement “Not Registered for Use in the United States of America.”

“The Sierra Club has become little more than another corporate front group,” said Tim Hermach of Native Forest Council in Eugene, Oregon. “Carl Pope has sold out the Sierra Club's mission of saving nature and now seems proud of his role as an obsequious and professional Uriah Heep. As a result, Sierra Club is getting lots of corporate appreciation, cash and favors.”

Sierra Club activist Karyn Strickler told Corporate Crime Reporter that “Sierra Club is more concerned about being an arm of the corporate Democratic Party than protecting the environment.”

“The Clorox deal is a classic,” Strickler said.

Strickler and Hermach were part of an active group of Sierra Club members who a couple of years ago sought to bring the Club back to its mission of protecting the environment.

But Strickler said that the effort at reforming the Sierra Club obviously failed.

“The corporate status quo forces led by Carl Pope didn’t want a grassroots force to make sure that Sierra Club was fulfilling its mission by protecting the environment,” Strickler said.

Pope touts Green Works as the first new line that Clorox has launched in 20 years.

“Green Works is 99 percent natural and made from ingredients derived from coconuts and lemon oil, and contains no phosphorus or bleach,” Sierra Club says in its press release announcing the deal. “The products are formulated to be biodegradable, non-allergenic, packaged in bottles that can be recycled and not tested on animals. Starting in April, the product packaging will contain the Sierra Club’s name and logo and a statement about Green Works’ support for Sierra Club’s efforts to preserve and protect the environment.”

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