A Conversation with Philippe Cousteau
(The complete Flip interview, with only minor edits, not found in the book)

Philippe Cousteau* (www.earthecho.net) is the third generation of his family to dedicate his life to exploring and explaining the natural world. Philippe continues the work of his late father, Philippe Sr., and grandfather, Jacques-Yves, by working to unite the pursuit of science, the conservation of nature, and education of the public at large. He founded EarthEcho International with his sister and his mother, Jan Cousteau, to work toward these goals, with a particular focus on young people as the future caretakers of the planet. He serves as president of EarthEcho and is responsible for directing and managing its extensive worldwide operations.

We asked Philippe to tell us a little bit about the meaning and mission of EarthEcho. “We hope to get the term ‘EarthEcho’ in the dictionary one day,” Philippe admitted. “We define it as the socio-environmental impact of one’s life. It’s time we begin to ask ourselves and each other, ‘what is your EarthEcho?’ The issue that we’re trying to bring across to people is that everything we do does make a difference. Our good decisions make a difference, and our bad decisions make a difference. Everything we do. All of our choices have consequences. The only way that any of us is going to have zero impact on the Earth is if we very consciously choose to do so.

“One of the problems that our organization has had in the past is that we have spent too much time preaching to the converted. We need to figure out a way to successfully infuse our message into pop culture. The EarthEcho organization is very much about the value and sanctity of all life for its own sake. Everything is interconnected. A healthy environment is not a luxury. It’s vital for healthy communities, healthy families, healthy nations, and a healthy world – for our very survival. Take air pollution, for example. We tend to think of some areas as ‘high pollution areas’ and others as not. But it’s all interrelated and global. Air pollution knows no boundaries. We’re seeing pollution coming in from China in the jet stream and dropping soot in the Bahamas. Asthma is becoming disturbingly common; while not all asthma is caused by air pollution, a good deal of it is. And the American Cancer Society estimates that 25,000 people die every year directly from air pollution.”

Another example is can be found in our oceans. “Water is fundamental to our existence in every way. Our bodies are 70 percent water. This planet is 70 percent water, as well. But our oceans are in dire, dire straits. There’s no question about that. Coral reefs are tremendous indicators of the overall health of the ocean, and we have lost 27 percent of our coral reefs for various reasons, including deforestation, pollution, over-fishing and global warming. A lot of people believe there’s no impact on them. ‘I live in the middle of the country,’ they say, ‘and I’ve never even seen a coral reef, so what’s the big deal?’ They don’t realize that coral reefs are nurseries for our world fisheries, the sole source of many foods and medicines. In fact, coral reefs are the most bio-diverse ecosystem in the world – even more bio-diverse than rain forests. They are absolutely fundamental to the balance of life in the oceans. And the balance of life in the oceans is absolutely fundamental to the survival of life on land.”

Philippe has some very provocative ideas about using our oceans as an energy source. “The oceans are a tremendous resource,” he says. “One ocean alternative is wind power, which is better off-shore than on land because wind is more reliable out in the ocean. It has no impediment to its progress. It’s just whipping along the surface of the ocean where it can build up speed, as opposed to land where there are trees and mountains. Ocean wind turbines are built up on platforms, sometimes several hundred feet tall with very large blades that slowly rotate. Although there are several of these wind turbines in Western Europe and they’re very effective, we don’t have any in the U.S. yet. Europe is probably ten years ahead of us in the development of off-shore wind power. There’s a controversy around the effort to develop this country’s first off-shore wind platforms in Nantucket Sound, called the Cape Wind project. The problem is that people living at the coast don’t want to be able to see the turbines. They don’t want them ruining their beautiful view of the bay – and these are very wealthy individuals. They’re different from the underprivileged classes who will have to live in underprivileged neighborhoods where conventional sources of power will be located if this wind power plant or turbine field is not developed in the bay.

“One of the arguments raised against Cape Wind is that private individuals and corporations should not be allowed to harvest and profit from natural resources. Well, excuse me! What are fishermen doing? What are coal miners doing? It’s a ridiculous argument! However, doing something new is often very scary for people. Even if the alternative is something we should be scared of, like the known impacts of nuclear and coal-generated power. But ‘no choice’ is not one of our options. We have categorically failed to wean ourselves off of conventional energy. The recent rise in oil prices and various conflicts in the Middle East show just how strong our addiction to energy is and just how imperative that it is that we find alternatives. If we keep demanding more power, it has to come from somewhere. Either it’s going to be a clean, safe, renewable source like wind… or it’s not. And there are so many alternatives out there.”

Another technology Philippe has been pursuing is tidal power. “That means putting power plants with turbines in coastal areas. As the tide goes in and goes out, it basically flows through these power plants and causes the generators to turn and it creates energy. But there’s also the potential of wave power. Research indicates that just 1/10 of 1 percent of the energy in ocean waves would be able to supply the world’s energy needs five times over. Then there’s Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), where the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold, deep water is used to produce electric power. Every day the ocean absorbs enough heat in thermal energy to equate to something like 250 billion barrels of oil. We have the technology to tap into these clean energy sources; we just lack the will. There’s too much vested interest in conventional energy and now a renewed interest in nuclear energy. When we have the technology to develop renewable energy that has no negative output, why aren’t we?”

Does Philippe think we’ll wise up and make the right energy choices in the long run? “The challenge with corporations is that quarterly profits are the holy grail of our economy, and very few people seem to be looking at the bigger picture. History has shown that environmental degradation always leads to economic debilitation – 100 percent of the time. Yet our government seems equally short-sighted. Look at the current administration’s actions in Iraq. Whatever you believe to be their motives, the fact is that they made an asset allocation choice to spend $300 billion there when we are facing other issues that are, in my opinion, much more imperative to the existence of this planet. Where are the checks and balances? They are not willing to invest anything more than paltry tax subsidies in the development of wind and solar power when they are giving $65 billion tax breaks to oil companies? These are some major poorly placed priorities. Something has to change!

“The choices will be made for us if we do not make them ourselves. If we do not begin to temper our greed and our short-sightedness with a more wholesome perspective, then something else will. It will be famine; it will be hunger; it will be lack of fresh water supplies, wars fought over those resources, and disease. Something will temper our growth and our narrow-mindedness somewhere along the way if we don’t do it ourselves. We certainly have the potential to do so. We’ve gone to the bottom of the ocean and to the moon. We just need to acknowledge that our relationship with the world, the stewardship of our planet and of ourselves, is a priority. We can do that. I have a vision that this century will mark the next step in human evolution. We have had women’s suffrage, civil rights, and certainly those are issues that we’re still dealing with. But the twenty-first century will see the predominance of our relationship with the environment – and a more wholesome perspective on the future.”

*This publication and the appearance or statements herein of Philippe Cousteau are not related in any way to the work or marks of The Cousteau Society, nor is any endorsement implied.

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The Flip, by Jared Rosen and David Rippe, illuminates a clear path to a vibrant enlightened world where millions of people already live and thrive. It describes in vivid detail and real examples evidence of an upside down world in decay and a Right Side Up world of authentic beings bright with possibility.
The Flip is an owner’s manual for the twenty-first century full of insights, conversations with recognized experts, thought leaders, and visionaries, and actionable exercises and tips you can use to begin your own personal flip.

To read more about The Flip and additional interviews from other luminaries, experts and bestselling authors, please visit www.theflip.net

The Flip is available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Joseph-Beth, and Borders.

###

The Flip, by Jared Rosen and David Rippe, illuminates a clear path to a vibrant enlightened world where millions of people already live and thrive. It describes in vivid detail and real examples evidence of an upside down world in decay and a Right Side Up world of authentic beings bright with possibility.
The Flip is an owner’s manual for the twenty-first century full of insights, conversations with recognized experts, thought leaders, and visionaries, and actionable exercises and tips you can use to begin your own personal flip.

To read more about The Flip and additional interviews from other luminaries, experts and bestselling authors, please visit www.theflip.net

The Flip is available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Joseph-Beth, and Borders.