Cousteau grandchildren to receive legacy awards
By Bo Petersen (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wade Spees
The Post and Courier

Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, is to be honored along with his older sister, Alexandra, tonight at the S.C. Aquarium.
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Philippe Cousteau, Jr., grandson of Jacques Cousteau, speaks about the importance of environmental conservancy.
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For more information on the work of Philippe Cousteau, go to: EarthEcho International, www.earthecho.org and Azure Worldwide, www.azureworldwide.com
Cousteau is the rock star name the naturalist world hasn't seen since Audubon: Iconic diver, ocean explorer and conservationist. Jacques Cousteau's grandson quiets a moment when asked about it. His intent green eyes soften and go speculative.

Philippe Cousteau Jr., 29, never knew his father. The son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau died in 1979 before his son was born. Philippe was raised in the United States by his American mother and was somewhat removed from the rarefied, world-traveler Cousteau world based in France. His cousin, Fabien Cousteau, first picked up international attention for the third generation.

Philippe Cousteau came into his own in 2006 while diving with naturalist STEVE IRWIN, when a stingray stabbed Irwin in the heart. He died in Cousteau's arms.

Cousteau rode television success to bring attention to two conservation-ethic companies, EarthEcho International and Azure Worldwide, that he runs with his older sister, Alexandra Cousteau.

"For us it's always been pride in what granddad did. We try to carry on that legacy," he said.

Philippe and Alexandra are in Charleston to be honored tonight with legacy awards at the South Carolina Aquarium's annual Environmental Stewardship Awards banquet.

Philippe is thin, poised and articulate. Dressed in a suit coat and pants, he speaks in a voice that sometimes echoes the French of his family. He doesn't look like his grandfather so much as there's something in the eyes and expression that recalls him. Asked about how close the world and the United States are to being forced to manage and lease what was once the wild ocean, he said he testified to Congress on the subject a few weeks earlier.

"The oceans are already industrialized. I don't think people realize the extent to which the oceans are already utilized," he said.

Pointing out the need for state, national and international comprehensive plans on developing the offshore, Cousteau notes that the long-standing American ban on new offshore oil and natural gas drilling was allowed to expire a few months ago.

"We've explored very little of the ocean. We really don't know what's out there. But people think we've figured it all out," he said.

Maybe that lack of knowledge, in the debate that's certain to surround new drilling, will spur development of a plan that creates responsible siting of any new industry, so "we don't plunk an oil rig down on a deep sea coral," Cousteau said.

Cousteau is an accomplished diver, rock climber, trekker and snowboarder. A history buff, he wears four medallions on chains around his neck. The Roman coin found in an out-of-the-way Jerusalem shop and the image of the Hindu god of vision were given to him by his sister. The Ankh, the Egyptian symbol for eternal life, was bought while in Paris with a former girlfriend. The Saint Christopher medal, the symbol of the patron saint of travelers, was given to him by his mother, Jan.

A lot has been made of distant relations and the broader success of the conservation efforts launched by cousin Fabien. Cousteau brushes aside the purported feud as media hype. The two sides of the family focus on slightly different issues in a slightly different way, he said. They are not much aligned in terms of work, but they are in terms of mission.

He will accept the award tonight quoting his grandfather about people's role as stewards of the planet. You can make a difference, that's the popular conservation phrase, he said. It's a little more than that.

"Everything we do makes a difference, and we need to be thinking about whether it's a positive or negative difference."

Reach Bo Petersen at 937-5744