All posts from Philippe Cousteau
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Walking on the Ocean
Since arriving at Catlin Ice Base, we’ve been walking on the ocean — the only thing separating us from the roughly 1,000 feet of freezing Arctic Ocean below is five feet of ice. At these temperatures, a human being would survive about 5 minutes in the water; so it seemed rather counterintuitive that we spent the better part of 8 hours today drilling and chipping through the ice to reach the frigid water below. To read more, visit Philippe’s blog on CNN International http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/22/arctic.expedition/index.html Follow Philippe on Twitter! @PCousteau
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Arctic Day 7: Warm smiles at the Ice Base
It’s not your typical day at the office. Flying 300 miles north of the second most northern outpost in the Canadian Arctic is not something that happens every day. But finally, it happened to us. After a week of waiting, the weather cleared long enough for us to get out of Resolute Bay. To read the rest of Philippe’s blog, please visit http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/22/arctic.expedition/index.html EarthEcho CEO Philippe Cousteau has arrived at the Catlin Arctic Ice Base. During his expedition, he will work with scientists from the Catlin Arctic Survey to determine the global effects of the melting ice in the Arctic. To learn more about The Catlin Arctic Survey, please visit http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Arctic Day 4: Staying grounded as frustration mounts
Disappointment turned to frustration as soon as we got the news that we would be delayed another day. The weather continues to hammer the northern Canadian Arctic with a low pressure system hundreds of miles wide that is causing zero visibility conditions at Ice Base. Click here to read the rest of my blog on CNN International
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Arctic Day 3: Disappointment
The alarm rang as the early morning sun was trickling through the blinds on my window. As the fog of sleep quickly evaporated, I realized that today was the day we head to Ice Base. Finally, after weeks of preparation it was time to head north. Or so I thought. To read the rest of my blog, go to: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/22/arctic.expedition/index.html
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Rules of the Ice Base
Today was our last full day at Resolute Bay before heading to Ice Base (weather permitting) and we spent it getting the gear ready, trying it on, and venturing outside for an extended hike outside of town. Everything went smoothly but we were all a little shocked by the cold at first and grateful for the training that we had received, which can be summed in the 8 rules of Ice Base: To read the 8 rules of Ice Base and see pictures of Philippe in Arctic gear visit his blog on CNN International http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/22/arctic.expedition/index.html
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Expeditions, CNNi, Arctic Circle
Arctic Day 1: Resolute Bay
There is always a sense of anxious anticipation in the weeks leading up to an expedition; a combination of nervous energy and excitement, but as the lights of Resolute Bay began to peer through the dusk there was a sense of relief. We had finally made it after days of travel to this remote outpost in the northern Canadian Arctic. This was not the final destination of our journey but would serve as a way station for a day’s worth of training before continuing on to Ice Base another 400 miles to the northwest. Finally, the expedition had begun. To read more, please visit http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/22/arctic.expedition/index.html EarthEcho CEO Philippe Cousteau was recently announced as the host and special correspondent for CNN International’s Going Green Specials. In …
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EarthEcho Updates, Everything You Do Makes a Difference
2011: A Year for Change
2011 has arrived and with the New Year comes resolutions for change. Some resolve to diet or exercise or some start a new hobby…no matter what there is a sense of renewal as the clock strikes midnight, inspiring us to start a new adventure. Over the past year I have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of youth—from elementary school kindergarteners to high school seniors—pledge to make a change that will impact their environment and their communities in a positive way. A school in Gulf Shores, AL, is selling reusable Vapur bottles as a fundraiser and promoting their use over bottled water. Their Citizen Environmental Organization (CEO) goes above and beyond your run-of-the-mill eco-club. Under the guidance of teachers Wil Tuggle and Debbie Kenyon, these students have been given the opportunities to showcase their environmental citizenship. Students have started a variety of additional programs, including …
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National Treasures or American Wastelands, the Choice is Ours
The rough, white texture of the bark was still bright in the fading glow of sunset. I turned my head and gazed out over the valley to enjoy the last few moments of it bathed in golden light. Some of the greatest feats of humankind had been achieved since this wood had been stacked together...electricity, the automobile, telephones, antibiotics, the internet and landing on the moon to name a few. I closed my eyes and imagined this place as it must have been back when a Crow Indian warrior used it as a scouting point. At least that is what this teepee-like structure of large wooden branches and logs is thought to have been, a scouting post for Crow warriors watching over the valley for any enemy war parties. What anthropologists do know is it pre-dates 1872, a very special year. That year, President Ulysses S Grant, in a document …
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Everything You Do Makes a Difference, Expeditions, Gulf Oil Spill, Media, TreeHugger
Dispatch From the Gulf Oil Spill: Breaking the Law to Save the Gulf
In the past week I had the pleasure of meeting Jamie Hinton, Chief of the Magnolia Springs Fire Department. Jamie is one of the many examples of people who translate their awareness into action. Awareness is only the first step in committing to making changes that will help protect our planet. Click here to read the my blog about Jamie and the Gulf Oil Spill on TreeHugger
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Expeditions, Gulf Oil Spill, Media, CNN
Witnessing Beauty Before Oil Hits
NOTE: This is the first of Philippe Cousteau's blogs for CNN.com's "This Just In" series, for which he will be a regular contributor. After a very successful telethon for "Larry King Live" — we raised almost $2 million — I boarded a red-eye and headed down to Florida. Unfortunately, tar balls are starting to wash up on the shore, the same kind I saw on the beaches of Alabama that now, three weeks later, have weathered oil and sheen washing up on the beaches and into the marsh. If recent history is any indication (and I hope I am wrong), the Gulf coast of Florida is next. As part of my work here in the Gulf, I wanted to get ahead of the catastrophe and witness the beauty of these fragile environments before the oil spoiled them. My destination was Apalachicola Bay, a delta system that is among …
