Sierra Club Nailed for $26 Million Gas Conflict of Interest

What a surprise. Another deep-pockets eco-hypocrite.

We've identified Everglades Foundation benefactor Paul Tudor Jones and Nathaniel Reed here in Florida as hypocrites of the highest order; now joining that exclusive club of environmental giants is another name generally only whispered in reverent tones -- the Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club disclosed Thursday that between 2007 and 2010 it received more than $26 million from natural-gas giant Chesapeake Energy Corp. to help the groups campaign against coal-fired power plants.

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said he learned of the funding shortly after he took the job in 2010.

He discussed the funding on the Sierra Clubs blog Thursday after Time magazine broke the news of the Chesapeake-Sierra relationship earlier in the day.

Brune said the funding came from individuals or subsidiaries of Chesapeake, one of the nations biggest natural-gas producers. Times story points out that the funding came mostly from Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon.

Unfortunately, none of the Florida Sierra officials contacted Friday morning by Sunshine State News were available to comment.

Stay tuned through the weekend for a closer look at the story.
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