Friends of the Earth mourns the passing of Clarence Ditlow III, a consumer champion and board member

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On November 10, 2016, Clarence Ditlow passed away at age 72. Before losing his fight with colon cancer, Clarence led the fight to hold auto companies accountable at the Center for Auto Safety where he exposed hundreds of auto defects, saving untold thousands of lives. Clarence served on Friends of the Earth’s board since 1973 and was chair of our Legal Committee.

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica made the following statement in Ditlow’s memory:

Words cannot describe the impact Clarence has had on people’s lives around the United States. His advocacy for our safety and his willingness to stand up to the auto industry’s culture of malfeasance and cover-up was an inspiration. As a long-serving Friends of the Earth board member and chair of our legal committee, Clarence was unafraid to push the organization to sue the federal government or any other bad actor. His contribution to this organization and so many others is truly irreplaceable. Clarence was a friend and mentor whose integrity and fearlessness inspired me to push harder. I will miss him.

For more information on the life and work of Clarence Ditlow III, please read the following obituaries:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/business/clarence-ditlow-died.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/clarence-ditlow-crusading-consumer-advocate-for-auto-safety-dies-at-72/2016/11/11/4141f65e-9b9f-11e6-a0ed-ab0774c1eaa5_story.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/11/11/tireless-auto-safety-advocate-clarence-ditlow-dies/93648372/

Contact: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]