Q&A
with Jean-Michel Cousteau: "The Future of Water – The Challenges and
Solutions"
Founder of the
Ocean Futures Society and Advisory Board member of Ecosphere Technologies, Inc
(ESPH) Shares a Legacy of Insight
New York, NY - August 19, 2014 (Investorideas.com Water
Stocks Newswire) Investorideas.com, a global news source covering leading
sectors including water and environment, issues an exclusive Q&A interview
with Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau, a leading environmentalist and film producer, as
well as Advisory Board member of Ecosphere Technologies, Inc (OTCBB:ESPH).
Jean-Michel’s name carries a legacy of love of the oceans and a passion to
conserve and protect them. He is the founder of the Ocean Futures Society, a
non-profit marine conservation organization.
Jean-Michel
Cousteau discusses the current global state of our oceans and water sources and
what we can all do to help protect them. He also shares insight on how
technology can play a key role.
Read this release
in full at: http://www.investorideas.com/CO/ESPH/news/2014/08191.asp
Interview:
Q: Investorideas.com
Jean-Michel, as an explorer and
environmentalist, what are you seeing as the greatest challenges for marine
conservation and the health of our oceans?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
I think the general public doesn't
completely understand that we are totally connected to the water system whether
you live near the ocean or live far away from the ocean - there is one water
system. And symbolically anytime you drink a glass of water you're drinking the
ocean. So the quality of the water system is likely linked to the quality of
our lives. There are 7 billion people on the planet and we add another 100
million people every year, increasing the pressure on the environment. And we
need to come up with solutions to be able to solve the problems that we have
created, not purposefully but by our mistakes or lack of understanding.
There are millions of species that
disappear. We, the human species, are the only species that I know of that have
the opportunity to either disappear or not disappear, because of the tools that
we have, our hands and our brain. And, I am a very, very strong believer that
we are going to do the right thing. We are going to do the right thing in order
to make sure that, as a species, we will continue to be around for a very long
time.
Q: Investorideas.com
What are the biggest contributing factors
impacting the current state of the oceans?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
Well, the biggest contribution is
mismanagement of our resources; the lack of understanding on how much we affect
the quality of water, and the quality of the ocean in particular, by allowing
untreated sewage. And it's not just what you see because our primary sense is
vision, but it's what you don't see; chemicals and heavy metals which are
affecting the entire coastlines of the planet. We also have an issue with
fishing because we're taking more than nature can produce. So just like what we
did on land when we were taking more than nature was producing, we became
farmers. We need to do what we've done on land. We need to farm herbivores, not
carnivores. Farming carnivores takes too much from nature to make the food and
that becomes very expensive. I am encouraging fishermen to become farmers, and
if not them their children.
In addition, because of climate change and
our emission of CO2, we have a huge issue which is relatively new in the minds
of the scientific community and ourselves, and that is acidification.
Acidification has major impact. We are finding significant impacts on different
creatures, whether it's coral reefs or plants or shells, whether it's sea
shells or shellfish.
Crabs,
lobsters, shrimps may have their shells softened and ultimately they will not
be able to replace them. So we have major issues and that is directly linked to
our emission of CO2, which affects the ocean.
Q: Investorideas.com
Where are you seeing any positives? And in
that context, what role do you see
technology playing? Are we making any dents in these overwhelming problems?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
Well, education for me is number one.
Diplomacy is number two. We need to go and sit down with decision makers
whether they are in industry or government. Let's not forget that people in
industries have to show a profit at the end of the year, otherwise they lose
their job. But they also have families that they care about. And government, if
they haven't done what the public is expecting, or what they promised to do,
they will not be re-elected in November. So we need to sit down with these
people, never pointing a finger, and literally have a dialog, whereby they
understand that we need to treat nature like you treat a business. We can only
live off of the interest that is produced by nature without depleting the
capital.
Today we are taking more than what nature
can produce and we heading toward bankruptcy. We don't want to go there. We
didn't know that before, but now we do. And there are people coming up with
some amazing solutions and I have to say that Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. for the last many
years has been focusing on developing solutions to take care of some of the
problems that we are facing today.
Q: Investorideas.com
Can you give us some insight as to your
role as an Advisory Board member at Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. and what
attracted you to the company and its technologies originally?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
Well I have been involved since the
Company’s very beginning. I remember being in New York City in 2001 pumping the
water out of the Hudson River which was loaded with - possibly dead dogs and
cats, but more likely a lot of pollution from chemicals or heavy metals. We
were pumping that water through an Ecosphere water filtration system. As it
came out of the system, I was drinking it. And I'm still alive and pretty
healthy. Although this is only one example I think that the technologies that
Ecosphere has created need to be expanded worldwide. And we can help a lot of
people to make sure that they keep their health at the highest possible level
with clean water.
Q: Investorideas.com
When it comes to treatment technologies and
solutions in marine areas that have been subjected to oil spills or other
contamination, what you are seeing first–hand in terms of corporate preference
and results? Are companies opting for clean, environmentally sensitive
technologies or resorting to more traditional chemical solutions? And in that
light, based on the technology of choice, how are you seeing that directly
impact the marine wildlife and aquatic eco-system?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
Well, all these technologies are impacting
the environment. We, as individuals, impact the environment, including the air
we release out of our mouth, our nose. So, we have to understand that we have
to face up to a lot of issues. And there is very good news thanks to companies
like Ecosphere which are addressing some of these issues. And I believe that,
as we identify what the problems are, we find solutions. But, as I said
earlier, we have to sit down with the big corporations, big industries, and
deal with the economic aspects of it. Help them understand that they can
change, for example, from their traditional way of creating energy to being
able to find new ways, and economically save a lot of money with new
approaches. And ultimately, our health will be less impacted, and on and on and
on. So I think we are in a very exciting time in our history.
And I'm looking at being able to sit down
with any industrial leader and I never point a finger. If we reach peoples’
brains and hearts and we try to come up with ideas, we can help them go in a
direction which will solve a lot of the problems we've created. And you know,
then again, whether it's in government or industries, these people have
families and they care. They want to do the right thing, but we need to help.
And thanks to science and new technologies, we can make that happen.
There are ways of capturing the energy from
the sun, from the wind, from the wave’s action, from the rivers, from the
difference of temperature between the deep ocean and the shallow ocean. And all
of these are available and renewable, and we can solve a lot of the problems.
That’s what we are up against today. And I think we are heading in that
direction. There are a lot of people who are willing to listen, provided that
you don’t attack them and force them to be on the defensive. Provided that you
have a dialogue, a conversation.
I am happy to say that I have had the
privilege of sitting down with different decision makers. Whether it's
representatives of governments, whether it's left, right, or center, to
convince them to make differences. And I've also had the privilege of sitting
down with leaders of big corporations to help them improve the way they do
things and help them understand that they have opportunities to ultimately
continue to make money successfully, and take care of the environment, and thus
protect the quality of life for their future children.
In the mid-80s, my father and our
colleagues developed a concept called Ecotechnie: the intersection of economics
with the environment and technology. We need to realize that if you manage
resources with new technology, we can still be economically successful. We can
face the environmental issues that we have with technology and still have
profitable businesses. The whole idea is to enable these companies to make
money and to take care of the environment in a much better way.
Q: Investorideas.com
How can consumers and investors play a more
proactive role in terms of day-to-day responsibility and also impacting the
Governments’ roles globally in protecting our water sources? And what countries
are leading the way in terms of proactive legislation and change?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
Well, there are a lot of countries that are
making progress and education is a critical part of it. And that's what we do
at Oceans Futures Society, our not-for-profit organization which I created when
my father passed away to honor his philosophy. My father used to say that
people protect what they love and I say all the time, how can you protect what
you don't understand.
Today we understand more and more and more,
especially with companies like Ecosphere. Their Ozonix® technology offers oil
and gas companies economic and environmental solutions to eliminating liquid
chemicals and recycling their produced water. They use a lot of water. They
create a lot of produced water. We need to use less water in these processes.
We need to clean it up. And we can. That technology exists today. It's a matter
of, one, making sure that decision makers know of the technology and, two, know
that they're going to make more money with these solutions. There are solutions
and they will stay in business. And that's what it's all about.
Q: Investorideas.com
Jean-Michel, your family is probably one of
the most well-known names attached to marine conservation, passing down a vast
knowledge and a deep passion for the subject. If we don’t take these matters
seriously and take action, what legacy are we leaving to our next generation?
A: Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
I will say that children are the future and
they are the ones we need to meet, we need to reach. And I have the privilege
of meeting young people all the time and young adults throughout the world in
many different parts of the world. They are interested. They are excited. They
want to do the right thing. And I see them do the right thing all the time. And
they expect us to act responsibly and we cannot let them down. What's
interesting is that now some of these kids who have acquired the knowledge or
the understanding teach and educate their parents. And it's funny to see that
happen. And it's wonderful in many ways.
Recently, I was on the sidewalk of State
Street in Santa Barbara and two things happened to me at different times. There
was a little kid who was with his mother in front of us, and, in front of me,
and way down there was a gentleman who pulled out his pack of cigarettes and
put a cigarette in his mouth. The pack was empty and he threw it on the side.
And the kid ran, and said sir, sir, you dropped something. And the gentleman
was so embarrassed that he went and picked up his pack of cigarettes. That's a
little thing that everybody can do.
And, the other example, at a different
time, there was a truck driving by and the driver stopped and the gentleman
said, Jean- Michel you don't remember me. I said no, I'm sorry. He said well I
want you to know that I attended one of your educational program 27 years ago.
And, I want you to know that all of the decisions I make today are being
impacted by the experience that I had on your program then. And, you know, we
know that all of us, every one of us, can make a difference.
In this great fortunate, privileged nation
of the United States, let's not forget that we represent approximately 5% of
the world's population. And we consume 25% of the energy of the world. So we
can easily criticize others, but we have to take care of ourselves first.
Remember I told you I never point a finger, but if we do, there are three
fingers pointing back at ourselves. So, I think we have the chance, the
advantage and the privilege of being a leading nation, finding solutions,
decreasing our consumption, and at the same time taking care of the environment
and keeping our businesses profitable. And I note that's happening already, but
we need to do that in a more massive way.
About Jean-Michel Cousteau
An explorer, environmentalist, educator and
film producer for more than 40 years, Jean-Michel Cousteau is founder and
president of the Ocean Futures Society, a non-profit marine conservation
organization. The eldest son of undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel
travels the globe as the "voice of the ocean," meeting with world
leaders and policymakers, educating young people, documenting stories of change
and hope, and lending his reputation and support to help energize alliances for
positive change. At the 2001 Winter and 2004 Summer Olympic Games, he was
chosen to represent the environment, literally carrying the flag for the Earth
into the Opening Ceremonies. Mr. Cousteau has been honored as a Director
Emeritus for his many years of service to Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. as a
Director. He has played a leading role in helping Ecosphere form eco-alliances
with corporations to protect the ocean environment from industrial pollution.
About Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: ESPH)
Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: ESPH)
is a U.S. technology licensing and innovative manufacturing company that
develops environmental solutions for global markets. We help industry
increase production, reduce costs, and protect the environment through a
portfolio of more than 35 patented clean water and clean energy technologies:
Technologies like Ozonix® and our Ecos PowerCube®, which are licensable
across a wide range of industries and applications throughout the world.
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On November 13 th the Company announced it acquired Aqua Handling
of Texas LLC, an oilfield frac water transfer service company located in
the Eagle Ford Shale area of South, Texas that operates under the name
"AquaTex". The purchase price was $1.3 million consisting of $300,000 in
cash, $500,000 in notes and 1,443,696 shares of the Company's common
stock ($500,000 value based on the trailing 30-day average of the
Company's common stock prior to closing).