What’s In A Name?

To sit and have a conversation with Jean-Michel Cousteau is to revel in the past, present and future of this beautiful blue planet all at once. The son of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, it’s his family that led him to the undersea world. It’s his passion and love for this realm that, even at 85 years young, puts him on the frontlines of the fight to protect and save the seas. And it’s his belief in the power of the next generation that keeps him optimistic. 

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to sit down with the man a couple of times and inspiring doesn’t even  begin to scratch the surface. His conviction and commitment to the ocean, the twinkle in his eye, the levity in his spirit, the natural affinity for cursing like a sailor with an incredible French accent—it’s magic. While a man in constant motion, decades ago, he fell in love with the Santa Barbara area and continues to keep a headquarters there. This is part of a conversation we had there:

“The name opens doors. I know that it facilitates communication. People pay more attention. I know that, and I respect the people that are trying to make a difference and don’t have the privilege that I have. I grew up in a time when there was no communication. My father was unknown, completely unknown, and I was part of pioneering days where he co-invented the regulator for SCUBA diving, submersibles, underwater habitats, going on expeditions. It wasn’t until I was probably 18 or 19 that I realized, “Oh, that guy’s different.” It was all just part of the deal. 

“My mother was there, my brother was there, the team was there. For me it was all part of our family. They were older brothers. Their whole professional lives, they were there. And today I think we have a responsibility to share that information. Because of what I call the communication revolution, from the time when our telephone number went to one phone at the end of a cable—the number was 2-2-1—today anyone can reach seven billion people on the planet one way or another. And so there’s one human family. 

“We’re all family. There’s one ocean system, we all depend on it for the quality of our lives. You have a drink of water, you’re drinking the ocean. You go skiing, you’re skiing on the ocean. It covers 70 percent of our planet and everything we put into ends up coming back around to us. 

“We’re very sensitive to the things we see, like garbage, but what about the things we don’t see? What about heavy metals and chemicals, and that is a real problem because it is affecting even more than what we see? It affects the entire marine ecosystem. It affects the ocean completely. And ultimately, it affects us. 

“There are fish we catch and put on our plate that are loaded with chemicals. But now we know. Before we did not know. So we can sit down with people, with decision makers, the fishing industry—I’m on the side of the fishermen, I grew up with them—but they’re going out of business. What happened when that happened on land? What happened when we were hunters and gatherers and then there was nothing to hunt or gather? We became farmers. What were we farming? Grains and herbivores. Herbivores, not carnivores. We don’t farm lions or jaguars, we can’t afford it. It’s too expensive. 

“So now we’re back to money again. Money, economy and ecology are all the same. If you manage the planet like you manage your business and live only off of the interest that is produced by the capital it can go on forever. 

“Today we’re going way beyond and gobbling up the capital, especially as we add another hundred million people to the planet every year. So the pressure is mounting, and thanks to these communication revolution tools, if you will, we can now educate people and allow them to make much better decisions. So, we’re back to business, and that’s what I’ve learned. And I’m absolutely grateful to my family for having taught me all of that. We have the fourth generation, my grandchildren, coming up now. In fact, one was born underwater.” 

- Jean-Michel Cousteau

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Visit Ocean Futures Society for more information.