A recent CNN piece described Cousteau as so much more than a pioneering diver and explorer – but a creative genius and green pioneer – and that he was.

I’ve studied Cousteau’s works and career as his model for exploration was obviously immensely successful and one to be considered carefully when taking steps in the same field today. What Cousteau did well was what he knew he did well – dive, invent, undertake artistic works.

The empire created around him was the result of his recognizing broader reaching benefits of his work, and engaging those that would add value to those elements. In particular were the sciences. Cousteau himself was not a marine scientist of any sort, perhaps not even a naturalist. However, his expeditions included many of the world’s best, affording the science community with unsurpassed access to the underwater world.

This tribute to Cousteau is a great one, and is a reminder to look beyond our immediate horizons:

http://cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/07/13/bittermann-green-pioneers-cousteau.cnn