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Live from Abu Dhabi Connect the World takes you on a journey across continents, investigating the stories that are changing our world.
Philippe Cousteau takes your questions
Philippe Cousteau Jr, the grandson of famous explorer, Jacques Cousteau, is a well-known environmentalist and explorer that has recently been at the forefront of fighting the horrific BP oil spill.
During the peak of the oil spill, he scuba dived into an area of the Gulf that was affected by the spill and said it was an "absolute nightmare".
Cousteau also said that a chemical dispersant being used to absorb the oil was not effective.
"We were about 15 to 20 feet down and it was dispersed into smaller and smaller particles throughout the water column in these billowing clouds that were just circling us, encompassing us in this toxic soup," Cousteau told CNN.
"It was very, very alarming."
Cousteau also wrote on his blog that his grandfather, Jacques would have been "horrified" by the spill.
"I know that my father and grandfather would have been doing this if they were alive and that they would have been just as horrified by what they saw as I was."
Beyond the oil spill, Cousteau is helping to educate youth about the environment through his non-profit organization, EarthEcho International.
In December, he also launched STREAM which is a program that helps youth become citizen journalists and learn how to report environmental stories in their communities.
For more information on the work Philippe Cousteau is doing - please visit his website by clicking here.
i have been wondering, when the dispersant broke the crude into small particles and dropped them either to the bottom or into a mass, how does the deep sea current effect the direction it will go, as opposed to the loop current ?
oh sorry from louisiana
What can we do to clean up the Gulf now that the oil and dispersants have been spread though out the region? Can you help us get the dispersant spraying stopped along the Gulf? Can you comment on the effects the oil and corexit are still having on the people and wildlife of the area? Gadsden, AL
Hello,
My questions are: Are the right steps being taken by govt &/or oil companies in order to prevent another disaster in the Gulf (or anywhere else)? Did the oil companies learn their lesson or have they just focused on damage control more than improving their business practices?
Thanks!
Keira
NY
HOW LONG ARE THEY GOING TO KEEP PRETENDING THAT THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!! WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE THEM STOP!!! PEOPLE ARE SICK AND THE GULF IS DYING A LITTLE MORE EVERY MIN OF EVERY DAY. WE ARE BEING ATTACKED BY OUR OWN GOVT RIGHT UNDER EVERYONES NOSES. THANKS TO THE MEDIA THE WORLD THINKS EVERYTHING IS JUST PEACHY!! DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, IS THEIR AJENDA AND THAT IS VERY CLEAR!!!
Hello,
What is your opinion on the state of the Oceans now compared to 20 years ago.
Over fishing, the Pacific Garbage Gyre, off shore drilling, Climate Change effects, coral reefs die offs, land based sewage entering the oceans.
Are we slowly killing our oceans through negligence and our mentality that our oceans are just one large dumping ground where all our waste will disappear?
St.Maarten
Dutch West Indies
Does EarthEcho ever have job openings and/or can you recommend a site to look for jobs for someone about to receive an MS in Marine and Wetland Studies?
Thanks,
Susan Shaw
South Carolina
Is nanotechnology a viable option to help clean up the Gulf?
Julie Maly
Thomas B. Norton Public Library
Gulf Shores, AL
hi really admire your work.. i'm now working on a facebook site "ban all shark finning" i was asked to join because of my regular comments on this barbaric subject.i'm also a diver and have seen the damage being caused to our oceans, my question is do you think we will ever make governments / world leaders understand just how close to extinction some species are , and will they ever take real action with real penalties to those continuing to abuse them..thank you
Hi Philippe,
You've probably heard about the bison situation up here in Yellowstone. It's very frustrating that the people in charge of "managing" (I hate that word) the bison will not listen to we the people, nor will they stand strong and do what's right for Yellowstone and the bison, rather than for cattle interests. Bison wandering out of Yellowstone Park are threatened with slaughter but there are so many alternatives. Maybe your voice can help. Thank you.
Randy Ingersoll
Gardiner, Montana
terry from england
Hi Philippe,
What chemicals if any, and biological and physical cleanup methods would you want to be used for cleanup of oil spills?
Ella
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada