Overview
While growing up, EarthEcho International co-founder and CEO Philippe Cousteau remembers hearing his grandfather tell him that water is the single most precious substance on the planet. It is not only a universal entry point to environmental issues, it is also a universal aspect of our everyday lives. Now in the 21st century, the health of both salt and fresh water systems is in even more of a crisis than he imagined.
Already one-fifth of the world's population lives without an adequate supply of fresh water. In our own country, Atlanta was six weeks away from total drought last year. As the primary driver of our climate, oceans play a huge role in regulating the abundance and dispersion of fresh water resources, the scarcity of which is causing more and more conflicts around the world, in places such as Darfur. Oceans are also the primary protein source for almost 2 billion people and rising, and are the source of a wealth of other resources for economies worldwide.
If we truly want to save and protect our water planet for future generations, then we must empower youth with the knowledge, technology, and tools to become tomorrow's change agents. We must empower a new generation to understand the very real connections between their communities' priorities and today's critical ocean and fresh water issues, and to engage their community members to take part in sustainable actions that benefit our water planet.
Our strategy to engage youth in ocean related service-learning and education is being strengthened by collaboration with highly-respected national organizations such as America's Promise Alliance, Children for Children, Discovery Education, National Youth Leadership Council, Planet Green, Youth Service America, and Usher's New Look Foundation.