In his latest column, Chris Tomlinson of the Houston Chronicle offered a stern rebuke of the rhetoric from environmentalist groups since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas. Tomlinson specifically referenced the “hyperbole” from Sierra Club organizer Bryan Parras:
“What we don’t need, though, is the hyperbole coming from environmental groups like the Sierra Club last week. ‘For as long as I can remember, my hometown of Houston has been littered with dangerous chemical plants, oil and gas refineries, and hazardous waste facilities,’ Bryan Parras, a Sierra Club organizer wrote in a statement. ‘These sites have caused devastation for my family, my friends, and my neighbors for years, polluting our air and water with deadly toxins.’ Yes, he really did say devastation.”
Tomlinson went on to highlight the positives of Texas’s petrochemical plants, and how these facilities are crucial to the region’s recovery:
“Most people, though, need to acknowledge that we are the reason these plants exist. If we didn’t need chemicals, plastics and fuel, there would be no reason to build these dangerous places. No matter how much they may scare us, they are our creation. We are responsible for them. So when you walk across your new polyurethane-sealed wooden floor and tap a plastic anchor into the drywall to rehang the family photos, take a moment to think about the geniuses who made all of those things possible.”
Parras’s rhetoric is just a sampling of the many insensitive comments of the Environmentalist Left following Hurricane Harvey. Fellow environmentalist Juan Mancias drew ire for stating that he hoped the hurricane would hit “full force,” and doubled down after the storm, stating he was “thankful” for the destruction it caused.
Petrochemical products are vital to the recovery and cleanup efforts throughout the state. While the Environmentalist Left uses the loss and suffering in the wake of Hurricane Harvey for political grandstanding and hyperbole, Texans have come together and donated millions of dollars to help their state pick up from the storm.
