For someone who has shown his love for the environment, it’s a little odd to see Leonardo DiCaprio taking a private jet to receive an award from Robert De Niro’s clean water advocacy group.
The day after his jet-jump from the Cannes to New York City, Leo made an appearance at the Cinema Against AIDS gala in France to give a speech.
All that flying around has made quite an impact. It’s hard to label yourself as an environmental advocate when your mode of transport is emitting more fuel with every take off. According to the New York Post, all of these flights have “expanded [Leo’s] carbon footprint by 8,000 miles.”
“Climate change is real,” Leo said during his Oscar acceptance speech. “It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species.”
According to the Post, environmental analyst Robert Rapier told them that Leo’s “history of private jets and yachts ‘diminishes his moral authority to lecture others on reducing their own carbon emissions’.”
Sounds about right.
“[He] demonstrates exactly why our consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow,” Rapier continued. “It’s because everyone loves the combination of cost and convenience they offer. Alternatives usually require sacrifice of one form or another. Everybody says, ‘I’ve got a good reason for consuming what I consume’ … It’s the exact same rationalization for billions of people.”
Earlier this year, Leo’s foundation pledged $15 million to environmental causes at the World Economic Forum. While he has taken private jets and yachts to some of these events, according to some of his friends, he only “hitched a ride with someone already flying back [and] to Cannes. Hitching a ride was the only way he could make it in time for both events.”
Leo and his rep have refused to comment.
What say you, PopStars? Do you think Leo is being a hypocrite?
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