Credulous environmentalism in the pages of Sierra

The namesake magazine of the Sierra Club got taken to task by letter-writers in the March/April 2008 issue. Why?

Rightlyfully spanked was the magazine, including by Laurel Hopwood, chair of the Sierra Club’s Genetic Engineering Committee, for including Kraft and Wal-Mart as being friendly to sustainable food practices, organic food, etc.

Kraft, of course, per several wags, produces “food-like substances.” Wal-Mart imports much of its “organic” food from countries that have less organic oversight than the admittedly paltry USDA standards here in America.

Then, in his column, Executive Director Carl Pope claims China has “the cheapest labor market in the world.” Not true, not true at all, Carl.

Just south of China lies Vietnam. Not as industrialized as China, but certainly ahead of Kampuchea, Myanmar, North Korea etc., not to mention the special tragedy of sub-Saharan Africa. And, India, Pakistan and Muslim Rim countries, while they may have higher wages, have burgeoning, readily-exploitable child labor sources.

So, the “brand name = nothing” syndrome you painted could get even worse.

Oh, and on credulous environmentalists, elsewhere the mag cites Environmental Defense for its “good work” in getting TXU to not build eight of 11 planned coal-fired power plants. Actually, takeover artist Kohlberg Kravis Roberts didn’t want to build them, so that it could drive up electricity costs and pay off its leveraged buyout quicker.

Environmental organization credulousness easily morphs into corporate greenwashes. Way to go.