I www.vincentcaprio.org returned from Washington, DC this week. Every conversation I had was a discussion on water and/or the Gulf oil spill. On Monday evening, I had the pleasure of attending Fabien Cousteau’s “Plant A Fish” www.plantafish.org Fundraiser www.vincentcaprio.org/vincent-caprio-fabien-cousteau-at-plant-a-fish-fundraiser.

Know your Cousteaus: Diving deep into the family pool
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/06/rs-_cousteau.html

Reception launching Fabien Cousteau’s new organization, Plant A Fish
http://washingtonscene.thehill.com/party-events-pictures/archive/4511-reception-launching-fabien-cousteaus-new-organization-plant-a-fish

Fabien Cousteau www.fabiencousteau.org is an Advisory Board Member of our Water Innovations Foundation www.waterinnovationsfoundation.org. I asked Fabien to share his thoughts on the Gulf oil spill. “For far too long, we’ve been using our ocean planet as both an infinite resource and a garbage can. The recent Gulf oil spill vividly demonstrates the devastating impact our careless actions are causing. The only potential upside is that the tragedy is gaining public awareness and compassion. Perhaps now, we will begin to comprehend the fragility of the ocean world and the severe impact our carelessness is having on our one and only life support system. With regards to the invaluable resources our oceans provide, we must see our natural world as a bank account and start living on the interest instead of eating away at the capital. Despite the current challenges we face as a species, we must go forward and strike a delicate balance with the oceans if we are to survive well into the future. By ending our wasteful practices, weaning ourselves off our 100-year-addiction to fossil fuels and shifting to, and embracing renewable energy sources, we can a reach this critical balance. As challenging as it may be, let’s do everything we can to properly clean up this disaster, focus on how we can prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring and start nursing our planet back to health.”

A Cousteau Continues Legacy of Ocean Exploration
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703303904575292601095309906.html

Grandson of Famed Undersea Explorer Celebrates World Ocean’s Day
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/grandson-of-famed-undersea-explorer-celebrates-world-oceans-day-060810

On Tuesday, I attended Corporate WaterVision 2010 http://www.infocastinc.com/downloads_pdf/corporatewater_agenda.pdf, a very informative water conference in DC. I enjoyed the Luncheon Keynote Address: Obama Administration Initiatives, presented by Peter S. Silva, Assistant Administrator for Water, US Environmental Protection Agency. I would like to remind our members that all the presentations from our Dayton Water Conference www.daytonwaterconference.org/presentations.php are on our site to review.

Yesterday in DC, there were 5 Congressional hearings on the Gulf oil spill.

Kevin Costner Testifies Before Congress On Gulf Oil Spill
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/kevin-costner-testifies-b_n_606542.html

Kevin Costner is not the only celebrity with a product to clean the Gulf oil spill.

Jean-Michel Cousteau, Troy Aikman, and Drew Bledsoe Hold Press Conference in Louisiana to Endorse Breakthrough Technology
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/esph_jean-michel-cousteau-troy-aikman-and-drew-bledsoe-hold-press-conference-in-louisiana-to-endorse-br-976449.html

One of my late father’s favorite quotes hit me while in DC. General Douglas MacArthur said, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.” In regard to the Gulf oil spill I thought, “Old toxins never die and we hope they just fade away.”

Regards,

Vincent Caprio
Chief Operating Officer
Water Innovations Alliance
vince@waterinnovations.org