[Again, I’m just editing the notes I wrote at the time… the context — Jean-Michel Cousteau was a featured speaker today. His speech was sponsored by Dow Chemical, and he talked extensively about the need for environmental reforms, and he spoke earnestly about how he felt that, for the first time in a long time, governments (and the US gov’t in particular) and corporations were listening. He talked about dialogues… online, offline, between citizens, between activists and governments… and throughout it, I wanted to be as hopeful as he was, but I also have a lot of concerns. Here are my notes.]

Really powerful discussion about how the communication revolution can and should be used to allow for a more informed, active, powerful citizenry. We should make sure that the connected world serves to empower citizens. Can we stop polluters, "liars and cheaters" (in his words) because of ICT?

It’s a noble thought… one that I think David and Will and other folks would agree with. But how do we ensure that these powerful communication tools — that our very classrooms — are not co-opted by the corporate interests that fund these tools. To wit, even this speech, where Jean-Michel Cousteau is talking about saving our oceans and stopping polluters, is sponsored by Dow Chemicals. Fortunately, they are allowing Jean-Michel Cousteau to say what he wants to say, but that’s not always the case with every speaker and every corporation.

[As evidence of the changing nature of information, and how we can reach more people in this world, Cousteau showed us the seven minute documentary that was put on the DVD of "Finding Nemo" as payment for his consultant work on the film.]

I hate to say this, but the documentary he showed which is on the DVD of Finding Nemo was clever and fun, but it was really "info-tainment" where the characters of Finding Nemo kept "interrupting" Jean-Michel Cousteau and in the end, very little science was discussed. Maybe it got young children involved, and maybe that’s what is necessary, but as he says in the end, "This would never happen to Papa." We have to make sure that we are not merely using these new technologies as distractions so kids don’t notice they are learning, but rather they have to make us able to learn more deeply.

[These notes followed his discussion of corporations and governments being willing to listen to his message now.]

Interesting that Cousteau talks about how the corporations are listening and talking to the environmentalists now. As he says, "we don’t always agree, but at least there is dialogue." So he is tackling the very issue that most makes me nervous. And apparently, he was at the White House last night… and he is talking. Here’s my fear. They are "listening" to him, but they aren’t doing anything about it. I would hate to see Ocean Futures and Cousteau being used by large corporations and the administration as yet another greenwashing technique. I think he’s smarter than that, and I imagine that he’s going to listen to them and work with them for as long as he feels that there is the chance to affect real change. I’d love to hear what he says about this "dialogue" in his private moments.

And through it all, Cousteau keeps talking about how education must lead the way. And I agree.

Are these corporations listening? How long would they let someone like Cousteau talk about changing the way we treat the planet if they felt it would damage their reputation, their business, their profit margin? (And have I become too much of a cynic?)

[In the end, no one can argue that Jean-Michel Cousteau has spent his life trying to make our world a better place. Ocean Futures is, from all I’ve ever heard, a very good organization, and certainly, if he can get corporations to listen to his message of preservation and environmentalism, he’ll go down as one of the heroes of our time. I want to believe in his ability to do so. And since he was such a wonderful speaker, I’ll also remind everyone to watch the latest series he’s doing on PBS, Ocean Adventures.]