[ASSURAS] Back now with a look at work being done to protect, and in some cases restore, oceans and seas that are being threatened by climate change and other environmental hazards. To do that, we're joined by marine explorer Philippe Cousteau, grandson of the late world-famous French sea explorer and documentary filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, once my Sunday night appointment television. I have to tell you that for sure. Philippe's underwater adventures have taken him to places like Florida's coral dead zones in his efforts to expose threatened ecosystems as a special correspondent for CNN International. He is cofounder and CEO of EarthEcho International, his family's nonprofit conservation organization. And he joins us from Los Angeles for this week's MIX. It is good to see you, Philippe, thank you.

[COUSTEAU] Thank you, Thalia.

[ASSURAS] I wonder if you could explain, first of all, about the coral reefs around the world. Not specifically Florida's coral reefs -- we'll get to those -- but how the world's reefs affect Americans every day. Especially the impact that's economic.

[COUSTEAU] Well, coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem in the entire world. People oftentimes think of rain forests as being full of life, and, indeed, they are, but coral reefs are more biodiverse than even rain forests. And they're a critical nursery ground for many of the fisheries that are not only part of, in many cases, subsistence, the only source of protein for up to a billion people around the world, but also a huge source of economic importance for economies around the world, providing value in the trillions.

Coral reefs also provide important buffer zones against storms and tsunamis and other natural disasters that would otherwise batter coastlines and cause a great deal more damage than they do to coastal economies and countries.

[ASSURAS] So, in terms of what Americans might be able to do every day to prevent that degradation of the reefs, what would you suggest?

[COUSTEAU] Really, anything we wash down the drain that's toxic, the kind of food we eat. There's a lot of meat consumption that goes on in this country that's probably a bit too much. And that causes a lot of coastal pollution. Our industrial agriculture system, eating local and seasonal food as opposed to food that's bombarded with pesticides and fertilizers that run off. And of course cutting down on our carbon consumption as well and the cars we drive, how we use energy, et cetera.

[ASSURAS] So, let's focus on Florida's coral reefs. 80% are dead zones. How do you explain that? All the things you've just talked about?

[COUSTEAU] The Keys, in particular, you know, have been in decline for a very long time, and the hopeful message is that because of the efforts of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program there, and a lot of conservationists and scientists, parts of the Keys are starting to bounce back. But traditionally the impacts there have been lack of wastewater management, so sewage, essentially, and agricultural runoff from the Florida peninsula. But recently, over the last decade or so, since maybe the late '90s, it's been increasingly warmer temperatures as well that have started to have an impact on the Keys, that is largely connected to climate. So it's both local impacts as well as these larger global things like climate change.

[ASSURAS] Let's move on to the global aspect, and one of the things we did earlier in the broadcast is we talked about a poll that shows that Americans' concern about global warming has decreased over the last 10 years by 12%, and increasingly there are comments from politicians like this one, if you could take a listen.

[GOVERNOR RICK PERRY (R) TEXAS, AUGUST 17, 2011] I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling in to their projects. And I think we're seeing it almost weekly, or even daily, scientists who are coming forward and questioning the original idea that manmade global warming is what is causing the climate to change.

[ASSURAS] That's Texas Governor Rick Perry, who's seeking the Republican nomination for president. What specifically did you think about the governor's comment?

[COUSTEAU] Let's not look at the scientists who are -- believe me, we're not talking inordinate amounts of money -- a lot of scientists are struggling every day to do the work that they're doing. The special interests who are trying to disinform the public about climate change -- I'm not necessarily saying politicians but the industry -- have trillions at stake. So, follow the money, I agree, and the money points to the fact that scientists are doing very hard work every day and the large majority -- over 90% of global scientists -- are saying that this is true, and I find it irresponsible of politicians to make these types of statements. Certainly we'd love to see the backup for that.

[ASSURAS] You know, President Obama couldn't convince Congress to pass climate change legislation, one of his key goals, so how do you rate his record on this issue?

[COUSTEAU] Well, of course, it's not just up to President Obama to pass the legislation that he would like to pass. Uh... I think we're all disappointed that there hasn't been more movement on environmental issues over the last few years and certainly with respect to climate, and I hope that we can expand the dialogue.

And one of my concerns is that we get so focused on climate change and the debate around climate change that we start to forget what our addiction to fossil fuels does to our health care system. Certainly, the rates of asthma in children under 5 has risen 160% since 1980. We start to forget that it has a huge impact on our security. Indeed, 1 in 8 casualties in the conflict in Iraq was from soldiers escorting fuel convoys, so the Department of Defense doesn't like our addiction to fossil fuels, either. It's costing the lives of our brave men and women who are fighting in the armed forces.

I think we have to remember that there's a lot of suffering, not just with respect to the environment, but with respect to our children, with respect to our soldiers, because of this addiction to fossil fuels. We have to get off it, and far from costing us billions -- or I believe Governor Perry referred to maybe trillions of dollars, which is ridiculous -- it will save us money in the long run. It will save the health of our children. It will cause an increase in security and make a safer world and it will increase and improve the health of the environment for future generations.

[ASSURAS] Philippe Cousteau, thanks very much for joining us.

[COUSTEAU] Thank you.