Of course, the Clean Seas Coalition’s work will never be done. When Ocean Futures Society founder Jean-Michel Cousteau, the son of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, visited my office last month on Ocean Day, he highlighted another major problem that must be addressed: fire retardants in consumer goods. From products as wide ranging as foam mattresses and televisions, we are putting unhealthy toxins in our bodies and the ocean.
In “Call of the Killer Whale,” a PBS special helmed by Cousteau that will debut on April 22, Cousteau reveals the dangers PBDEs found in fire retardants place on humans and higher-order marine mammals. Research on mammals shows that PBDEs can harm development and neurological health.
I have many memories of weekend trips to the beach, playing in the water and watching seagulls search for their next meal. Whether our children’s children will be able to say the same thing is largely in our hands. I hope we don’t let them down, and through the Clean Seas Coalition, I will do all I can to be a good steward to this planet. After all, while many things in life are disposable, Earth is not one of them.
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