David de Rothschild Responds To Green Prophet’s Oil-Shale Plea

David de Rothschild responds to our open letter urging him to influence his family member to stop oil-shale exploration in Israel’s Elah Valley.

He was named “Emerging Explorer” by the National Geographic Society, “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and “Climate Hero” by the United Nations Environment Programme. The founder of Adventure Ecology, David de Rothschild is particularly well known as the young Rothschild who eschewed banking and eventually became head of the Plastiki team, which built and sails a catamaran made of plastic bottles.

After learning that his second cousin Lord Jacob Rothschild and media mogul Rupert Murdoch acquired 11 percent in equal shares of Genie Energy Corporation unit Genie Oil and Gas Inc., which intends to start an environmentally destructive oil-shale exploration program in Israel’s Elah Valley, we published an open letter to David urging him to contact Lord Jacob to discourage such exploration. Not only did he hear our plea, but he has pledged his support.

David gracefully noted that while he appreciates our work to protect the environment, and for bringing the pending oil-shale exploration to his attention, the entire, vast Rothschild empire can’t possibly share his environmental convictions.

He may “actively discourage environmentally harmful activities” and attempt to influence numerous individuals and businesses both within and beyond his family to consider what impact they have on their environment, but he is no strong-armed eco-mafia man who can force others to do his bidding.

This makes perfect sense, and we appreciate his gentle candor. However, as a well-respected ambassador for the planet, David’s signature on letters to people of influence could hold significant weight.

“I do consider the ‘Oil Shale Exploration’ to be a very serious and pressing matter and something that I will look into further as a priority,” he wrote, adding, “however, as mentioned, while I implore everyone to make sustainable choices for the planet, I cannot be held responsible for other people’s actions despite my best efforts, even family members.”

Here’s his letter:

Dear Green Prophet team

Thank you for bringing issues such as these to my own and the public’s attention and for working tirelessly towards a better future.

As you can appreciate, I am part of a large family with many diverse opinions but I, as an individual actively discourage environmentally harmful activities. However I have previously, and as is in this case, will continue to write to not only family members but also other individuals and business about how their actions influence the world environmentally in the hope that they will place a greater significance on this area and seek clean alternatives that can help us tread more lightly. I do consider the ‘Oil Shale Exploration’ to be a very serious and pressing matter and something that I will look into further as a priority , however, as mentioned while I implore everyone, to make sustainable choices for the planet, I cannot be held responsible for other people’s actions despite my best efforts, even family members.

Once again I am grateful for you bringing this matter to my attention and promise to explore this matter further.

Sincerely,
David

We hope that David’s attention to this project could at the very least lead to greater transparency and rigorous environmental testing before any exploration is taken up with haste.

He expressed gratitude, and promised to “explore this matter further.” For this, we at Green Prophet, and no doubt the communities who call the threatened Adullam district home, are equally grateful.

Below please find links to first story published about oil-shale exploration in Adullam and our original letter to David:

Open Letter To David Rothschild: Stop Your Family’s Oil Shale Exploration

Author: Tafline Laylin

As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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