Well-known actor and philanthropist, Leonardo DiCaprio lends a famous celebrity face to the issue of climate change.
His foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF), was founded in 1998 and seeks to “[implement] solutions that help restore balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants.”¹
LDF uses grants, public campaigns, and media initiatives to help protect biodiversity, ocean and wildlife integrity, and reduce the effects of climate change. LDF’s grants program has given $30 million since 2010 to 78 high-impact projects in over 44 countries.¹
In a 2013 blog post, The Borgen Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty, commends DiCaprio for having “a strong passion for environmental activism.”
The blog also notes he owns hybrid and electric cars, has installed solar panels on his home, and employs a variety of environment-friendly alternatives to the products that are notorious providers of burning fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.²
Hybrid and electric cars and solar panels, of course, reduce the carbon footprint from use of electricity for power.
In October 2016, DiCaprio released “Before the Flood,” a documentary about climate change. Featured interviews in the documentary include President Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Pope Francis, and John Kerry.⁴
“This is the most important issue of our time.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
Greenhour (2015) About the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation - Leonardo DiCaprio foundation. Available at: http://leonardodicaprio.org/about/ (Accessed: 6 December 2016).¹
Office (2013) Leonardo DiCaprio for humanity - the Borgen project. Available at: http://borgenproject.org/5-cool-things-leonardo-dicaprio-done-humanity/ (Accessed: 6 December 2016).²
Fox, C. (2016) Leonardo DiCaprio: ‘Wealth and success don’t make you happy’. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-revenant/leonardo-dicaprio-interview/ (Accessed: 6 December 2016).³
Zero Media. Before the Flood Official Trailer #1 (2016) Leonardo DiCaprio Documentary Movie HD. 9/28/2016