In case you somehow didn't hear, Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar. After over 20 years of being in the business, he won Best Actor for his performance in "The Revenant." There was no denying the excitement in the room as his name was called and as he stepped onto the stage to accept his award. Leo gave a speech that will be remembered for years to come, but not for his words about his work. He took the opportunity he was given to bring attention to the ongoing issue that is climate change.
Climate change is exactly what it sounds like, a change in a weather pattern. It differs from the normal temperatures that a particular area experiences. It's man-made, and a direct result of greenhouse gases that are put into the air through the burning of fossil fuels. This, in turn, affects the Earth as a whole.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Earth’s temperature has increased over the past 100 years and is on track to continue to rise over the next few hundred. It might not seem like much, but it isn’t stopping and will only continue to get worse. “As these and other changes become more pronounced in the coming decades," the EPA states, "they will likely present challenges to our society and our environment.”
The effects are scary, and they should be. It’s nothing to take lightly, or not care about because you don’t believe you’ll be affected. The New York Times claims that the potential risks are profound. They say scientists fear effects so damaging that governments will destabilize and major cities will flood.
Leo’s aware of this, and has been ahead of the game, doing his part to combat the issue. In 1998, he created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF), which aims to simply protect the earth. According to his website, the “LDF implements solutions that help restore the balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants." They do this through raising money and awareness in the media. Simple enough, but it makes a huge difference.
He’s also aware that not everyone believes in climate change, or that it’s a real issue, including some politicians. “We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity,” he says. Not only is he using his platform to speak on a relevant issue, but he also encourages citizens to pay attention to who they could potentially elect in November and as a result, the effect it will have on the environment.
Climate change is our issue. We created it, we contribute to it and we're responsible for doing something about it. We pay attention to things far less important, so why are we so afraid to talk about something that affects all who inhabit the earth? We need to become educated and aware of what’s really happening to our home.
Leo began the discussion -- it's up to us to continue it. As he said at the Academy Awards:
“Let us not take this planet for granted.”
