“Don’t focus on the negative and scary,” actor Ted Danson advised at Roberta Stevens's President’s Program today during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. In conversation with Stevens, the Emmy–award winning television and movie star and oceanic environmental activist warned of the perils of over-fishing, saying “the clock is ticking,” but “the problems are fixable.”
Danson joked about using his celebrity to focus attention on the environment, saying it was “like having a roomful of adults focused on a 5-year-old.” Nevertheless, he said, it was an opportunity for him to redirect attention to “the real talent,” namely the scientists and researchers who are studying the damage to the oceans caused by pollution and ruthless fishing with ocean trawlers. “In 40, 50, 60 years, the oceans could be fished out,” he said.
He went on to admit that the toughest part of advocating and testifying in opposition to offshore drilling was countering those who argue that it’s a question of the environment versus the economy. It's a false dichotomy, he said. More jobs are created from clean energy than oil and coal. Danson said he is focusing on changing policy, and to that end, he added that we must arm ourselves with information and educate ourselves—and help library users do likewise.
On a practical level, he advised that eating farmed salmon was a bad idea, as they are generally full of antibiotics and expose people, especially women who are pregnant or hope to become pregnant, to unacceptable levels of mercury.
Oceana, the organization Danson represents and helped found, has become the largest organization in the world focused solely on ocean conservation. His new book, also titled Oceana and published by Rodale, details his journey from joining a modest local protest in the mid-1980s to opposing offshore oil drilling near his Southern California neighborhood to his current status as one of the world’s most influential oceanic environmental activists.
Stevens also chatted with Danson about his career as an actor, best remembered for his starring role in the television series Cheers. “I love going to work,” Danson said. “I love acting. When done right, it can be a noble profession.”
