The Facts of the Matter: Looking Past Today’s Rhetoric on the Environment and Responsible Development

by David Parish

Too Green to Be True?
​Does all the positive press about hybrid cars, alternative fuels, and the next “green” must-have product  sound too good to be true? Well, maybe it is.

The media, advocacy groups, politicians, and businesses are all competing for our attention and money. They all try to convince us that they are environmental saviors who share our values and that their products—from beliefs and beverages to politicians—are the best options to secure a brighter future and save the planet and our people from oncoming environmental devastation. 

But the most important factor in securing that brighter future is a combination of optimism and critical thinking. 

David Parish has been at the forefront of the hottest societal challenges of this century. Known as a bridge builder, he has worked with stakeholders on both sides of divisive issues and argues that the best way to conserve the planet—and ourselves—is the natural convergence of smart natural resource development with improving the lives of the growing population.

In The Facts of the Matter, Parish proposes that any problem is most productively addressed through a lens of optimism. His clear explanation of the environmental, technology, energy, and resources issues we face will help readers identify which crucial questions to ask that will push politicians, government regulators, environmental groups, media, and businesses to truly take the action society needs to prosper. 

Genres: Ebooks, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Politics

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2018

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of GoodReads' First Reads program.

At first glance, this looks like it's going to be an even-handed, fair, balanced look at the environmental problems facing the world today. Instead, it quickly becomes apparent that the author is presenting the issue from a politically right perspective. I had to tell myself to keep an open mind and keep reading repeatedly while working my way through this book. The author does offer some good, fair sections towards the end of the book, but most of it is arguing for continued pulling of resources out of the earth. It's what's making us rich, right? Kind of what you'd expect from a former lobbyist and Exxon employee. Particularly repugnant was his slamming of Hilary Clinton, while not mentioning the orange dirt bag that she ran against. I guess the author agrees with his policies and what's happening to the EPA under his watch. If you believe that everything's fine, this is a book for you. If you're worried about the environment, I'd skip it. If you're looking for a fair and balanced look at both sides of the issue, you'll need to look elsewhere.

[Celia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Facts of the Matter: Says who?

This book upset me because I do believe that there is climate change and that we have to do something. I believe science.

This author wants to find fault where there is none. Reminds me of Trump and his voting conspiracies.

1 star

[Rodney Harvill · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the record, I obtained this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

Although I suspect that David Parish and I are on different sides of the political spectrum (I am a strong conservative who is often critical of Republicans for being insufficiently conservative.), I found a lot to like in his message, especially his apparent sense of fair play in how he levels his criticism at both sides of the American political spectrum. If I had to distill his message into a single sentence, it would have to be, “Abandon simplistic bumper-sticker slogan ideology and face the complexities of the issues at hand in the interest of lasting solutions that benefit as many people as possible.” I think that message is sufficiently complex to avoid being a bumper sticker slogan itself.

We live in a world where environmental zealots regularly attempt to shut down projects constructing power plants, transmission lines, pipelines, mines, etc., that can promote the public good. They are driven by slogans such as, “Save the planet!” or whatever else that is perceived to be in danger and needs to be saved. They are opposed by others who have distilled their ideology into equally simple slogans such as “Drill baby, drill!” I can think of many other matchups in areas such as social justice, which I tend to see as inherently unjust in its methods and ideologies, business regulation, health care. . . Since Mr. Parish’s book focuses on the environment, I will stick to that subject matter although I think what he has to say has relevance elsewhere, as well.

Mr. Parish points out that efforts to protect the environment and raise people out of poverty require wealth that is obtained via projects that are often opposed by environmentalists. Among his examples is a mine in Alaska that was opposed by environmentalists who were concerned about it polluting the area. There was a waterway into which so many minerals were already leaching naturally from the ground that it was completely uninhabitable for fish and had been that way for centuries. The mine provided a water treatment facility that cleaned up the waterway, allowing fish to live there. This would not have been possible without wealth generated by the mine. Furthermore, the mine provided the area with much needed jobs to lift the local population out of poverty.

Mr. Parish also points out that efforts by environmentalists to shut down mines, etc., in the U.S. tend to have a negative, rather than a positive, impact on the environment. These mines are being considered because the modern world produces a demand for various minerals. If they are not mined here, where there are strict environmental regulations, they will be mined elsewhere, where the environmental regulations are less strict and possibly nonexistent. The exporting of the mining industry out of the U.S. ultimately has a negative overall impact on the global environment.

Mr. Parish encourages the readers to develop a habit of critical thinking, such as asking where the mineral will be mined if not here. Bravo! I am a nuclear engineer who has worked in the electric power industry and am very familiar with the acronym NIMBY, not in my backyard. How many times have I thought, “Whose backyard do you want this built in? Our modern lifestyle requires the power. If not here, where will that power plant or transmission line be built?” So, I absolutely applaud Mr. Parish’s message of critical thinking.

Aside from our lack of critical thinking, Mr. Parish points out that our media and political leaders are a significant part of the problem by oversimplifying problems, turning molehills into mountains and encouraging us-against-them thinking. Of course, both the media and politicians do this because they benefit from the downstream effects. The media gets viewers and readers, and politicians get political contributions and votes. Again, I cannot fault Mr. Parish’s reasoning. I myself have become very skeptical of various media outlets and am convinced that future historians will be as critical of our press as they are of the yellow journalism that contributed to the Spanish-American War. With regards to politicians and environmentalism, I have noticed that the Democrats tend to be overly zealous about the environment in the manner described in this book. My causal assessment is that in the late twentieth century, Darth Nader taught the Democrats the power of the force of the Green Party by drawing sufficient votes away from them to swing elections, and I don’t see this situation changing anytime soon.

My only criticism of Mr. Parish is that I see some of his thinking as overly utopian. His vision of people working together to solve problems in spite of their differences is wonderful but unrealistic given today’s realpolitik. Given the amount of polarized us-against-them thinking, I am unsure if it is possible for the opposing sides to even work together. For example, within the past few months, I was troubled by an immigration policy detail proposed by the Trump administration, with which I sympathize although I don’t consider myself pro-Trump, and deliberately sought out a way to express my opposition to the policy without working with the anti-Trump crowd. I did this because I didn’t want my concern to be exploited for partisan political gain by those who would work against other interests I hold dear. No doubt people on the political left distrust right-wingers such as myself as much as I distrust the left. How long will this situation persist? Who knows! I wouldn’t be surprised if the process of change takes an entire generation. Mr. Parish may well be ahead of his time, but hopefully not.

In summary, I really liked Mr. Parish’s message and would like to see it turned into action. However, I doubt that the current political environment is favorable although I hope I am wrong. There is much to be learned from this book.

[Susan “Sam” · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a fake book about fake science and fake ecology. Above all else, continue to build and pollute as pollution is a fake concept. Of course, this is the opinion of a fake reviewer (but a real reader).

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A fresh look at the rhetoric surrounding climate change and other environmental issues of our modern society. In early chapters, Parish takes a hard look at what is environmentalism and who the major contributors are to the problem and solution.

Americans want to help the evironment and protect the world for future generations, but Parish looks at the inside agenda and solutions, however, what I like the most is that he shows how much of what we think we are doing to help is often having the opposite effect. He then goes on to demonstrate how local ingenuity combines with Government support to create lasting changes for the world.

Instead of focusing on the scarcity approach, Parish looks to communities that show how natural resource abundance can Co-exist with safe practices to benefit 3rd and even 4th world countries.

This is not a onetime read, if you really want to maximize your life while reducing your carbon footprint.

[Abigael Weller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book though a #GoodreadsGiveaway

As such, I felt compelled to read it in its entirety. I worked through about 75% it until I put it in my DNF category. Considering the subject matter, I would have like to see many more references throughout the book concerning both environmental and economic figures that Parish continually used. If we are talking about science and monetary figures, I’m going to want the data to back that up. This book was severely lacking in that regard. Additionally, I felt that the author wrote the same anecdotes and stories throughout the writing and by condensing this material, the book could have been half its length and better organized.

Does the author raise interesting points? Sure, I was intrigued by a few. But does the book really showcase the “facts of the matter?” No, not at all.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received a Kindle copy as a GoodReads giveaway. The author has some good points about looking at all sides of environmental issues. He wasn't entirely unbiased himself, of course, and I was very aware of his background as a former oil and gas exec.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A book that claims to expose all the hype surrounding the environmental movement. In a way, it does, but not totally in the way that the author intends, I think.

[Venky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The contemporary debate surrounding environmental preservation and global warming is a robust vertical divide right down the middle between two warring factions espousing their own variants and versions of entrenched beliefs. On one side of this argument stand the eternal optimists (allowing myself a take on a term coined by the famous author Matt Ridley) who claim that global warming, climate change and environmental degradation represent exaggerations of such gross proportions that they blur into mere figments of an overactive imagination. On the other side of the divide are the veritable harbingers of bad tidings who take painstaking efforts to warn us that Mother Earth is already Planet Doomsday, and her inhabitants condemned pilgrims well on their way up the road to perdition.

In The Facts of the Matter (“the book”), author David Parish - who worked for ExxonMobil as a public affairs representative and consultant from 1988 through 2006 – argues for a more balanced approach towards environment and responsible development. Encouraging all stakeholders to move away from what he calls a “bumper-sticker rhetoric” that swings between the two extremes of “Drill Baby Drill” and “Save the Planet now”, Mr. Parish exhorts all the participants engaged to analyse outcomes in an unbiased and impartial manner leaving behind passionate emotions and personal biases. Mr. Parish asserts that our societal beliefs are to a great extent shaped by what he terms “The Big Green Machine – an informal and growing coalition of big media, big environmental groups, big government agencies, big businesses and big politicians.” Each of these five influential and powerful players, play on our emotions while at the same time, pursuing their individual self-serving agendas. Purveying an “us v them” notion, this Big Green Machine has as its overarching template an element of sensationalism and shock value that skews perception and skewers logic.

Mr. Parish urges us not to employ the phrase “going green” as a convenient synonym of ecological preservation. Quoting from an excerpt featured in the “Time” magazine, the author brings our attention to the fact that, “our computers and smartphones might seem clean, but the digital economy uses a tenth of the world’s electricity – and that share will only increase, with serious consequences for the economy and the environment.” The way forward, Mr. Parish proposes is a compact between stakeholders such as the colossal energy companies, native dwellers upon whose land the said companies propose to conduct their operations and the Government. He also provides the popular example of the Red Dog Zinc and Lead mine in the remote Northwest Arctic. The NANA regional Native corporation is a part owner and partner in the mine since the late 1980s. NANA has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”) in Canada to provide succor and relief to vulnerable children in India and other countries. As Mr. Parish informs us, “the five-year program under the Zinc Alliance for Child Health (“ZACH”) targeted improving access to zinc supplements and oral rehydration salts to treat diarrhea while strengthening healthcare systems and improving supply chains across India……less than 2 percent of Indian children have access to these lifesaving therapies. UNICEF estimated that the program would save 100,000 children’s lives in India over just a five-year period.”

As highlighted by Mr. Parish, it is inevitable that any project which comes up in a developed country be examined threadbare for both its positive connotations and negative outcomes before being either approved or thrown out the window. A bumper sticker rhetoric fueled approach might lead to a mining project being outlawed in a country (where the environmental and safety standards are world class) only to be shifted to a third or even fourth world country like Madagascar, where people living on subsistence wages of under $2 a day toil in sub-human conditions with non-existent environment laws and a complete disdain for the safety of the workers (a great proportion of whom are child labourers). As illustrated by Mr. Parish, Iceland has practiced this philosophy unerringly in the process of constructing some of the world’s largest aluminum smelters using hydro and geothermal power, and at the same time chalking up some enviable statistics such as zero unemployment, double university enrollment in a decade, plunging rates of teen alcohol and a near obliteration in teen drug usage! Mr. Parish thus advocates following a middle ground between a “do-nothing paralysis” and a “do-it-now” approach to obtain the most desirable of results.

Mr. Parish brings his extensive experience of having worked with all the relevant stakeholders having effects, influence and impact over the fortunes of the environment. And it is this experience which makes him adopt a balanced and logical perspective to environment and responsible development (even though in some passages of the book, he comes across as an apologist for ExxonMobil by assertively reiterating the various developmental schemes and preservation efforts undertaken by his former employer).

At the time of writing this review, Monsanto, an agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology giant suffered a major jolt with a jury ruling that the company was liable for a terminally ill man’s cancer, ordering the corporation to fork out $289m in damages. Dewayne Johnson, a 46-year-old former groundskeeper, took the multinational colossus to trial over contentions that the chemical sold under the brand Roundup causes cancer. The jury concurring with the allegations of Johnson, awarded the aforementioned huge damages to him.

With the BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa poised to take millions of people out of the clutches of poverty into the category of middle class, and the race for resource accumulation and energy consumption is heading in only one direction – north. This scramble will bring along with it the attendant burdens on the environment as well as on people constituting an integral part of it. While a rising tide may have the potential to raise all the boats, a vengeful surge of the waters also has the capability to wreak havoc and cause wanton damage and destruction. The relevant stakeholders across the globe would do well to take into consideration the reasonable balance proposals of David Parish while evaluating any proposal that has material economic ramifications inextricably attached with environmental consequences.

[Bimal Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book by David Parish certainly makes you think. In today's world we are bombarded with news from media that is largely based on what drives up their ratings than facts. It's so early to get swept away in the frenzy of some promise made by big business, big government or big social media site to bring about a meaningful and positive change in the world. They exploit our desire and need to do good to our fellow human beings, animals, in preserving global resources, etc. But how much of this is based on facts? How much is backed by science? That is the premise of this book. Rather than conforming to the social norms and following the herd, the author in this books wants us to decipher the message and fact check for ourselves to see if the message makes sense to us. The biggest campaign that our society has collective undertaken is that of slowing down global warming. Instead of working on better technologies and extracting all that we can from the resource we extract, we go about banning the extraction of resources in the name of reducing our carbon foot print. People switch to green energy not knowing how much resources are being used to make that technology green. We are thrilled about electric cars to reduce our consumption of fossil fuel and reduce carbon emission but ever stop to wonder how much of the same fossil fuel and it's derivatives we are using to make those high capacity batteries?

We all want to do good in the world and help third and fourth world countries become self sufficient. By banning extraction of resources these countries sit upon it's impossible to bring their living standards to acceptable levels. In need to raise their living conditions it's important for these countries to rely on their share of natural resources they have been blessed with and be able to exploit it. There has to be a fine balance between reducing your carbon footprint and letting exploitation of resources to benefit mankind.

Overall, this book is a thought provoking read and I recommend it for anyone who is up for some introspection.

[Reneta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Learn something me things about Alaska and environment challenges

Several chapters devoted to Alaska environment struggles with government, other chapters in Madagascar and Belize and the doomed economic and environmental situations....I won this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway as I wanted to read a book on climate change....I struggled to get that from this book, and have to admit I skimmed through pages. There were several interesting parts like about how hybrid and electronic cars are actually using more of our climate footprint, but the vast majority of the book was somewhat politically biased and based...and a lot of words devot d to Alaska where the author grew up and worked. Not my kind of read.

[Kyre · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author claims to be for science but uses no scientific research to back up any of his climate change claims. He also praises Autism Speaks; s group many autistic people see as a hate group. Not impressed. This is basically an opinion piece based on his life and various news articles. His harping on critical thinking is about the only useful part.
(Glad I won a giveaway instead of buying it)

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is all about the money. Folks who WANT the money trying to get it from the folks who HAVE the money. I don't by the environment, global warning claptrap for a multitude of reasons. Too many obvious holes in it. And the fallout is getting ridiculous. If there are so many issues, why are plastic bottles and bags still produced? And Coal's bad? What's running the electric cars?! Solar power anything, still ends up in landfills. Wind power? Kills bats. Lol! The list can go on disposible diapers, cell phones, computers.... Who are we kidding?! Oh, and pollution! The air is so much cleaner! Really? Smog in China is heading to Mars??? Great Lakes water is simultaneously improving and getting worse. Someone needs to make their mind.
Worth a read, but seriously, think. Follow the money.

Thank you Goodreads for an advance copy.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book details the need to balance the environmental needs with the needs to be innovative in the areas of energy and development. The author has worked with large energy producers to try to accomplish this. I thought it was an interesting read but I'm not sure we have the political climate to allow this to happen. The book advocates common sense and looking at energy & the environment from all angles to come up with a workable plan that involves compromise. I'd like to see more of the cooperation and common sense he advises to get everyone to a healthy world and economic situation.

[Racheal Amador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I appreciate the idea of this book, one has to consider the author's extensive oil-industry background when reading his side of the ecological issues that challenges the earth's ability to accommodate humanity's increasing demand, repair itself using natural processes, and thrive despite the continual and careless abuse inflicted on and to it by the results of industrial and technological revolutions.

[Sophia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the Goodreads giveaway. Although I thought the author and myself would have some differences in opinion, I was shocked at the amount of lies and fake science in this book. If you want to learn anything factual about the climate crisis or environmental movement stay away from this book.

[Valeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of receiving a copy of “The Facts of the Matter“ by David Parish from Goodreads giveaway. In this book Parish shares his opinion on evironmental concerns. He encourages us to be open minded and optimism. To see the glass as half-full and to not fall for catchy bumper-sticker slogans.

[Shelli]

Jesus tap dancing Christ in a plucky fedora.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

[Kasey]

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book as a giveaway recipient. I am excited to read it and will update my thoughts on this book soon!

[Dnim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the author’s idea that we, as inventive humans, can find ways to keep society developing while finding new ways to become more environmental friendly. I do think many people who want to be ‘green’ do not even think reasonably about the things they support or not. However, this book could have used more case studies with actual data (like in the passage that says the human role in global warming can be, as writen, a “hottly debated question”, when it is only a question to uneducated people, as it is very much a fact).
In any case what most annoyed me about this book was how many times the author uses “bumper- sticker” or other words repetitively. I think even with his background he is just trying to show another side of the story; you should not believe it all before checks, but he is right about the negative media. An interesting read, but which could have been WAY better developed.
*I got this book as a giveway.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Good Reads giveaway. David encourages us to stop seeing things as an us vs them when it comes to the environment. He points out that hybrid cars actually produce more waste than a regular car. So, it's important to look at the big picture when it comes to any particular environmental concern. This book was filled with interesting cases to consider when we look at developing an area, both in terms of economics and the environment.

[Lavender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the whole going green movement and gives you some things to think about while trying to be environmentally conscious.

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me stop in my tracks and after reading it, I find myself critically assessing any "Green Campaign" and my role in environmental preservation. Perhaps the greatest shock to me was just how much the digital economy consumes electricity, a tenth and growing just blew my mind. It shouldn't but now it opened my eyes to how often we charge our smartphones and electronic devices wherever we go- and in Kenya, having a powerbank is like having an essential tech piece because no one wants their smartphone going off.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book is what I'd gift my environmental conservation friends- it'd make some great conversation and shape policies and narratives written by young people in organizations.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly eye-opening, as it made me think about how much of an imprint we are truly having on our environment. Many people will go out of their way to reuse bags or drive an "environmentally responsible" car, but they are constantly using digital technology, which uses a lot of electricity. I was also surprised to read that eco friendly cars may not be as good for the environment as they claim to be. This book truly encouraged me to research more about the imprint we are leaving on the environment and how to minimize it.