Here is our exclusive interview with Austin Nichols in 2010. He discusses the Gulf oil disaster, climate change as well as few other random bits about hoping to direct and his high school self. We hope this encourages you to become, as Austin has said, ‘Bigger Stronger Smarter!’

• Recently you’ve been to the Gulf with Global Green USA, how would you describe the experience?
• When I set foot on the beach on Grand Isle, sirens blew. Police and military immediately told my cameraman to turn his camera off. We were told that I would be thrown in jail if I crossed the red tape. “This is a crime scene,” they said. I asked, “And who is calling the shots down here?” They said, “BP.” The criminals are controlling everything. They are controlling our military, the press. They are controlling information. It is a scary thing to witness firsthand, and if every American could see what I saw, masses of people would storm Capitol Hill. And that is just the beginning. We spoke to fisherman who cried in front of us, because their livelihood has become obsolete in that area. All the fishermen and their families are leaving. And to add insult to injury, they want to get out there and help with their own boats. But BP says, “No, that’s our oil. You can’t touch it.”

• Why did you decide to get involved with the clean up in the Gulf?
• I decided to get involved because I have spent more of my life in the water than I have on land. I’m part fish. Waterskiing, surfing, diving, fishing, paddling, kayaking. You name it. My dream is to be able to breath underwater like a fish. I could stay down there all day. And when I saw that pipe leaking, uninterrupted, I wanted to explode. So now I’m trying to do whatever little humble thing I can to help.

• What impact do you think this is having on the average American family?
• Families are losing everything. They are moving. Unemployment is going up. And to be clear, I do not want to make oil obsolete right now. We need oil for awhile because we are so dependent on it. If we stopped it all, we would crash into a severe depression. But oil is a FINITE resource. Someday it will be gone, period. That’s it. So we have to start looking for other ways. And these ways have to produce jobs. That’s number one.Jimmy Buffett said it best. “When the automobile came in, a lot of guys lost their job shoveling horse manure. But then they figured out they could fix a flat tire.” That says it all, ya’ll.

• What do you think about BP’s use of Corexit 9500 as a dispersant? Are you worried about the effects it will have on crops and the people who live along the Gulf coast?
• When we asked the sheriff’s department about the dispersant, they said that’s part of the reason why we weren’t allowed on the beach, “cause that stuff is like napalm.” So yes, I think dispersant is dangerous and idiotic. They want to hide the oil. They want it to sink so we don’t see it. So they use dispersant. We should let it all pool together as much as possible and then skim. Dispersant makes me want to scream!! It has to stop.Also, the dispersant has probably killed countless fish and birds, but we will never know because BP has been a master of disguise. They have hidden the ugliness so well. And I fear that in years to come, we will learn that our government assisted BP in hiding the truth.

• If you could ask everyone to do one thing to protect the environment, what would it be?
• Changing our ways is easy. I have done it. It is a piece of cake. A few small things. Recycle. You can pretty much recycle everything. Paper, Plastic, Glass, Aluminum, Cardboard. Styrofoam and food, you cannot recycle. But most food can be composted. I bought a compost bin and it is so much fun. I put the lawn clippings, fruit and veggies in there, and then put it all back into the garden. I also bought a scooter that gets over 100 mpg. And i just signed up to buy a Nissan LEAF. Hardcore people can follow me further. I take military showers. That means, get wet, turn the water off to soap up. Then turn the water back on to rinse.I want to buy solar panels for my roof and that is going to happen soon. I also want to look into wind energy. I would be willing to buy a giant fan to power my house and all my neighbors, if such a thing were possible and offered.

  Also, change your bulbs. Ask your principal, dean, or boss to change all the bulbs to Energy Efficient bulbs. There are energy star appliances. There are so many things one can do. And our generation is leading the charge. The next generation will make us look archaic. And the generations after that will be doing things we cannot even imagine. So get on board!!! This is the future.

  I promise that looking to the future is the smartest thing you can do. Remember what happened when the tech industry exploded? Secretaries at DELL became millionaires because they had stock options. Always look for the new thing that is going to change the world. And support it. Buy stock in it. Invent it. You will be happy you did. We have to leave the old way behind. And the only people that are standing in our way are the generation that made all those old rules. They are still our senators and congressman and judges. We have to vote these people out and send them on. We have to push forward and restructure the world in a way that will allow us to continue to thrive. Cause right now, the Earth is not thriving. It’s crying for us to stop. Change.

• Of all your film and television roles, which has been your favourite?
• I have many projects that have been close to my heart. John From Cincinnati was so smart and different. And I wish we could have been doing it right now, when the Earth and the People need John the most. That’s why John came down here in the first place. To help. To save earthlings from themselves. But I know in my heart that that character will live on and continue to help. I know he inspired me to do what I am doing right now.My last movie, Beautiful Boy, will be at the Toronto Film Fest September 12. It stars Michael Sheen and Maria Bello. I think it is a special film.I have a very special place in my heart for The Informers. It seems that my favorite projects were the ones that didn’t quite make a big splash.

  Except I love Glory Road and The Day After Tomorrow for their social commentary. Glory Road tells the true story of the first all African-American college basketball team to win a national championship and The Day After Tomorrow was one of the first big blockbusters to tackle climate change. I feel proud to have been apart of projects that aspired to open people’s eyes.

• Have you ever considered going into other area of television and film, such as directing or producing? Can we look forward to an Austin Nichols directed episode before the end of season 8?
• Directing – That’s in the cards. Always has been. But I want it to be something that I wrote. That came from inside me, not someone else.

• In Season 7 of One Tree Hill there was a lot of talk about high school Julian, how would you describe your high school years?
• High School – I don’t know where I fit it. I ran in many different crowds. I wasn’t a jock, although I was an athlete. I wasn’t a nerd, but I graduated in the top ten from my class. I wasn’t a popular kid, but I was friends with them. I wanted to be friends with everyone. I didn’t belong to one group. I was just Austin.

• And finally, what’s your favourite city in the world?
• I have many favorite cities. Austin, New Orleans, London, Berlin, New York, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco and Wilmington.