Some in Sierra Club feel sullied by Clorox deal

"We have a very good environmental record," said Aileen Zerrudo, spokeswoman for Clorox, based in Oakland, Calif. "We expected a backlash from some people. This is definitely an unorthodox partnership, but we feel strongly that it's the right thing to do."

Another sore point for critics is that Clorox is a newcomer to the green cleansers market. If the Sierra Club aligns with anyone, they say, it should be a smaller pioneer in the field such as Seventh Generation Inc. or Method Products Inc.

But their products aren't as widely available as Clorox's and are more expensive, club spokesman David Willett said. The goal is to make green cleansers as popular with Wal-Mart shoppers as with patrons of organic co-ops.

"That's the kind of scale that we really need across many industries to transform the American economy to one that's much more environmentally friendly," Willett said.

He said he knew of no resignations from the Sierra Club over the agreement except those in northern Michigan. But a number of state chapters, including those in Michigan, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Tennessee, have criticized the deal.

Is credibility diminished?
A resolution adopted in New York says that "endorsing a specific commercial product in exchange for a payment severely diminishes our conservation integrity and credibility."

Willett said the Clorox payments, like other donations, will help underwrite the club's programs and won't compromise its mission.

"It definitely will not curtail how we talk about the company and the folks at Clorox know that," he said. "My impression is that they welcome the honesty."

Partnerships between businesses and advocacy groups can be good for the planet and a company's bottom line, said Gwen Ruta, a vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund. Her organization's alliance with McDonald's in 1990 led the fast-food giant to eliminate styrofoam packaging.

But the Environmental Defense Fund accepts no donations from corporate partners. "Our credibility is paramount," Ruta said.

The Sierra Club explained its partnership online at www.sierraclub.org/greenworks/

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