189 
I must say I find myself, in general, in almost universal, agree- 
ment with your statement. I do not have many bones to pick with 
you, but I would like you to expand on a few small points. I agree 
with you that it is difficult to conceive of the pollution of oceans as 
a national issue; it truly is a worldwide, international issue. 
I think I heard you say earlier in your testimony, that the 
United States is being perceived internationally as a leader in this 
effort. Is that correct? 
Captain CousTEAv. It was. 
Mr. D’Amours. When did that perception cease to exist? 
Captain CousTEAU. When the rules were being relaxed. 
Mr. D’Amours. You mean, it is very recent? 
Captain CousTEAU. Yes. 
Mr. D’Amours. You talk, Captain Cousteau, about a lack of 
knowledge about the assimilative capacity of the oceans and the 
tendency to go ahead and use our oceans rapaciously to dump 
based upon that lack of knowledge. Do you have any idea when the 
scientific community might be in a position to give us the kinds of 
more detailed knowledge that might enable us to move ahead more 
intelligently? 
Captain CousTEAu. That is a very good question, Mr. Chairman, 
because your question happens at a time when allocations to re- 
search are cut. I would say that with the previous development of 
marine research, we could have accumulated not enough but a 
very substantial portion of what is needed in about 10 years. 
Today, I do not know, because everywhere I go, universities, 
NOAA, NASA, everybody complains, “No money. No money. We 
do nothing.” So, I cannot answer your question. 
Mr. D’Amours. Captain, when you say that allocations for re- 
search are cut, are you speaking internationally? Do you find this 
pattern being followed worldwide? 
Captain CousTEAu. No, sir. As you are aware, women follow the 
fashion, where the skirt lengths go up and down, and the fashion 
leaders are generally French; but for oceanographic “fashion,” it is 
America. So, that what we are afraid of is that the tendency and 
the decisions in America might, in 2 or 3 years, be followed by 
other nations. My country, France, has increased research funds 
for oceanography by 35 percent. 
Mr. D’Amours. Captain Cousteau, I want to thank you very 
much. Because of the time limits under which you are operating, I 
will cease asking questions at this point and turn to Mr. Pritchard, 
the ranking minority member. 
Mr. PriTCHARD. Thank you. 
We welcome our very distinguished guest here and thank him 
for taking the time to come down. 
Let me pose the question which people ask me and that is the 
other side of the coin. They say, ‘Look, Congressman, we have a 
city the size of New York, with 10 million people, with immense 
problems, teetering on the balance of being able to govern itself 
and get through a crisis time. You may want us to drastically 
change the way we are handling our waste procedures, but there is 
a timing factor here. If you move too rapidly, you are going to tip 
our city into bankruptcy, and 10 million people are going to have 
