By Brian Oram (Brian O.) KnowYourH2O, Rethink Water Guest Columnist
Our biggest problem for water professionals, regulatory agencies, and other professionals in the public health field is what I like to explain using "The 12 Monkeys," which are based on the proverbial principle of “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil.” The 12 Monkeys are at the root of political or ideological division, tribal behavior, and groupthink. They act like scientists but tend to act more like activists and individuals that do not ALWAYS hold to the facts. Do not let them control the narrative.
Using the "French Revolution" view of political theory that established the concept of left and right ideologies, the 12 Monkeys can be divided into those two sides, with six monkeys on the left and six on the right. In its current state, the left does not mean liberal, and the right does not mean conservative.
The six monkeys on each side include the following: See, Hear, and Speak (or post) All GOOD things that support their own ideology, and See, Hear, and Speak (or post) ALL BAD things about the ideology of their perceived adversaries (especially on social media).
In environmental issues, the groups are sometimes divided into the "radical environmentalist" and the "industrial shill."
In most cases, the activists supporting the extremes of an issue are not always correct or incorrect. They are very loud and weakly trusted by the middle, and tend to use fear, anger, and division to control the narrative.
The KnowYourH2O Team suggests the following:
Do NOT be a Monkey.
Learn about an issue thoroughly before acting and supporting it.
Make statements and decisions based on facts.
If you need to form a group, we suggest individuals create their own local fact-based grassroots organizations and encourage diversity of background and opinion. If possible, ignore the offshoots of larger organizations that may not truly represent your community. We also suggest you seek information from unbiased experts and scientists, and please do not let a national activist control the narrative. Please be a sheepdog, not a sheep, a wolf, or a monkey!
In our form of representative government, we rely on elected officials to represent our individual and community interests. Please hold them accountable to your community, facts and science; if they are not good stewards, please replace them.
Recommendation—"Be a fact-based professional. Be a scientist."
To the water professional, be an ethical professional, a good scientist, and try to be the solution for your community. Be honest with your community when you're not sure of the solution; at no time use fear to create action. If you are using fear, misinformation and half-truths, you cannot see the large piece of wood, i.e., plank, in your own eye.
How can we help? The KnowYourH2O web portal is a fact-based educational resource for communities and professionals. A new featured resource on the portal is a booklet titled “Our Drinking Water.” We strive always to be impartial and free from the influence of the "12 Monkeys."
