In an unprecedented move, the national Sierra Club board voted to remove the leaders of the Florida state chapter in a 10-2 vote. The reason for such a harsh crackdown? The dispute over the endorsement of Clorox products as environmentally friendly. Noting that chemical companies such as these produce chemical waste that is exceptionally dangerous to their surrounding communities, the Florida chapter passed a resolution condemning the said endorsement. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group: “Across the U.S., thousands of industrial facilities owned by companies such as Clorox, Dow and DuPont use and store hazardous chemicals in quantities large enough to threaten surrounding communities in the event of an accidental release or deliberate terrorist attack.” They estimate that the Clorox company puts 12 million people at risk due to their chemical production. Furthermore, even after this partnership was made, Clorox was fined by the EPA for distributing an unregistered and mislabeled version of Bleach meant for export.

Now, the national organization receives a substantial (but undisclosed) sum of money for every single product sold bearing the GreenWorks name. Given the clout that such an organization plays with eco-conscious consumers, many feel that it would be disingenuous for an environmental lobby to carry on a partnership with at the very least a questionably environmentally conscious corporation. But when dollars are involved, the national leadership chose to side with money rather than principle, selling out the beliefs of their most dedicated constituents.