My response to Sierra Club: Pro-Corporate, Anti-Grass Roots on Firedoglake

Article URL http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/06/15/sierra-club-pro-corporate-anti-grass-roots/

Since Ms Hamsher is going to try and show the Sierra Club’s dirty laundry, let’s list it all. The controversy concerned payments for supporting Greenworks  She stated clorox gave $1.1 million to the Sierra Club is inacurate as the amount was "not discolsed"  The Club put the Florida chapter executive committee on probation not the members as she states in her article.

for those of you who want more information on the club's perespetive of greenworks it is at http://www.sierraclub.org/greenworks/

Delving further into the past how about the club’s immigration issue controversy which nearly tore the club apart or even further back with the club’s nasty firing of David Brower.  Controversy stretches all the way back to and also involved John Muir.
Ms Hamsher stated where is the Sierra Club focusing its attention? …. The Sierra Club issued a press release saying “It’s encouraging to see the Obama administration taking steps to improve safety regulations for offshore drilling.” On that same day, they took out a full page ad in the Washington Post, thanking Obama for putting a hold on an Alaska drilling project (no press release).

Of course Ms Hamsher neglects to mention the other environmental groups who were also listed on the ad. She also totally neglected to show the other press release the club issued on June 7th (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=180143.0) or the other ad the club took out (http://www.sierraclub.org/oilspill/downloads/beyondOil.pdf)

Ms Hamsher also tries to infer that the club is totally backing Kerry Lieberman, but if you look at this http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=adv_aces&s_src=ac the club has and  is pushing to improve any clean energy legislation, But again she doesn’t bother to point that out

I stated before the actual part where the rubber meets the road are the volunteers. And it is the volunteers who run this organization so when she is trying to belittle the club she is belittling every single one of the people who set and urn meetings, organize and set up events, conduct outings, write their elected officials about legislation testify at hearing and in court for the environment she defames each and every one of these dedicated individuals. But NO she doesn’t think that her words hurt them, that is not the true Sierra Club in her mind. Well in the mind of every sierra club volunteer it does!

From comments on the FDL site it is obvious that most of the club dissenters were never member of the club or if they were most likely just sent in their application and expected “the club” to handle it for them These people most likely ever laid a hand at actually volunteering at any actions or events! (and probably don’t do anything now but complain now either! These people are just looking for an excuse to bash the club

The Sierra club is not perfect it never will be and there will always be something that upsets or angers someone  the old saying “can’t please all the people…” and they shouldn’t try as there is always other groups such as Greenpeace, or the the Audubon Society.

Let me also point out some additional misinformation from Ms Hamsher:  Mr. Pope is not the head of the Sierra Club, He is the chairman, he was the executive director until March 2010. when Michael Brune was hired. The actual “head “of the Sierra Club is the president of the board of directors; I posted the org chart (http://bucksenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/06/sierra-club-org-chart.html) for reference. The Board of Directors are unpaid volunteers elected by the general membership of the club.

Mr. Pope does not have the authority to disband a group that can only come from the board of directors not from the executive director. And the number in the chapter was 175-member not the 700,000 which was stated by Ms Hamsher.

While we are on the topic disbandment my own Sierra Club group, The Bucks County Group of the Pennsylvania Chapter, which I was actively involved with in the 1990’s was disbanded 2 years ago. The reason several individuals from the local (Bucks County PA) democratic committee tried to take over the group and use it for their personal and political benefit. They wanted to use this group to only politically endorse democrats at the exclusion of other candidates from other parties. It took the board of directors and the PA chapter to disband the group. While I was upset at the actions I understood the reason for their action.  (Note I was not "an active volunteer" at that time.)

Lastly Ms Hamsher you never bothered to address the main point of my response which I repeat here

While you feel the Obama administration can wave this magic wand and instantly fix this mess in the Gulf, they can’t. No one can. Even if the administration nationalized the efforts to cap the well and clean up the spill they would not be able too much of anything until the well is sealed.


If you want to criticize someone, look in the mirror. It is the public’s apathetic and uncaring attitude which caused this spill. The Sierra Club has been fighting for decades for cleaner energy solutions while the general pubic buys gas guzzling SUVs and energy inefficient mc-mansions. The public has also allowed the previous administration to block any measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency.


It is disappointing when people like you suddenly jump on the bandwagon to criticize others who have spent years making REAL efforts to protect our environment. It’s time you and your fellow ambassadors of anger stop complaining about the problem and become part of the solution.

So, I pose a question to all of Ms Hamsher minions what are you doing to help this crisis? Other than criticizing the hard work of others. The volunteers of the Sierra Club are gathering volunteers to help in what ever way we can in the gulf   http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/VOLUNTEER_OPPORTUNITIES_AND_RESOURCES.pdf?docID=5142,   pressing for clean energy solutions http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/UploadedFiles/ZichellaTestimony11.05.09.pdf , and attempting to push better environmental legislation through congress http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TakeAction_CI_Energy and the states


It looks all Ms Hamsher's and her cronies are willing to do is complain about others!