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Leonardo DiCaprio traveled across the world on gas-guzzling private jets and embarked on long yacht trips while his foundation quietly funded climate change lawsuits levied against Big Oil.
DiCaprio, a famous actor and climate activist, has embarked on multiple fossil fuel-powered trips over the last several years while pushing for extreme measures to combat climate change, according to multiple reports. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which the actor founded in the late 1990s, awarded grants to a fund that in turn backed a private law firm's efforts to hold oil companies liable for climate change.
"I'm not surprised," Steve Milloy, a former energy official on the Trump administration's transition team, told Fox News Digital. "There's this whole left-wing dark money network. That money comes from someplace and these guys — high profile, wealthy lefties — are funding it."
"There's not a single climate activist who is not a complete hypocrite about all this," Milloy added. "Everything they do is just total hypocrisy. I would say they have no self awareness, but they just don't care. All this is really meant to control us, not for them to control themselves."
Leonardo DiCaprio speaks at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
DiCaprio's past fuel-powered travels included six roundtrip trips on private jets over the course of just six weeks in 2014. Sony Pictures Studios arranged for DiCaprio to take a private jet from California to New York during the period between April and May 2014, according to internal Sony emails published by WikiLeaks in 2015.
The United Nations appointed DiCaprio as a "messenger of peace" for his work on climate change in 2014.
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In 2016, DiCaprio reportedly flew 8,000 miles via private jet from Europe to New York City to accept an award for his environmental activism. He then returned to Europe for a charity event.
That same year, DiCaprio took a private jet to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. At the summit, the WEF gave DiCaprio its Crystal Award for his "leadership in tackling the climate crisis."
Leonardo DiCaprio is pictured jet-skiing in St. Tropez on July 15. (Mega Agency) (Mega Agency)
DiCaprio has also been heavily criticized for his wide usage of private yachts. In 2014, he took a yacht owned by United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the World Cup in Brazil.
In July, DiCaprio was pictured in St. Tropez on a yacht and jet-skiing with other celebrities.
After DiCaprio criticized Brazil over its reported deforestation plans, the nation's president Jair Bolsonaro slammed the actor, pointing to his usage of private yachts.
"You again, Leo?" Bolsonaro tweeted on July 27. "This way, you will become my best electoral cable, as we say in Brazil! I could tell you, again, to give up your yacht before lecturing the world, but I know progressives: you want to change the entire world but never yourselves, so I will let you off the hook."
Still, DiCaprio has continued to use his platform and foundation to push for a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels. After receiving the "best actor" prize at the 2016 Academy Awards, DiCaprio used his speech to urge world leaders to make aggressive actions to fight climate change.
"Climate change is real," DiCaprio remarked during the speech. "It is happening right now. It’s the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating."
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"We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this," he continued.
The Earth Alliance, which DiCaprio's foundation joined in 2019, didn't respond to a request for comment.
Thomas Catenacci is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
As an environmental enthusiast with a deep understanding of climate issues, it is disheartening to see instances where well-known figures, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, appear to contradict their advocacy for environmental causes through their personal actions. The evidence presented in the article sheds light on DiCaprio's extensive use of fossil fuel-powered transportation, including private jets and yachts, while simultaneously championing the fight against climate change.
The article highlights several instances where DiCaprio engaged in practices that significantly contribute to carbon emissions. For example, it mentions his six roundtrip journeys on private jets within a span of six weeks in 2014, as well as an 8,000-mile flight on a private jet from Europe to New York City in 2016. These details are supported by leaked internal Sony emails and reports of his travels, emphasizing a pattern of behavior.
Moreover, DiCaprio's use of private yachts, including one owned by the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, raises additional concerns. The actor's involvement in yacht trips contradicts his public stance on environmental issues, and the article highlights a specific incident where Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro criticized DiCaprio for his use of private yachts after the actor had criticized Brazil over deforestation.
The article also discusses the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's financial support for climate change lawsuits against Big Oil. While advocating for legal actions to hold oil companies accountable for climate change, the foundation allegedly funded these efforts through a dark money network. This information is crucial in understanding potential discrepancies between public statements and private actions within the environmental advocacy space.
Despite these controversies, DiCaprio has continued to use his platform to call for a transition to clean energy and aggressive actions to combat climate change. His speeches, including one at the 2016 Academy Awards, emphasize urgency and collective efforts to address the pressing environmental issues.
In summary, the article provides evidence of Leonardo DiCaprio's extensive use of fossil fuel-powered transportation methods despite his role as a climate activist. This information underscores the importance of scrutinizing the actions of public figures who advocate for environmental causes and the need for consistency between personal behavior and public advocacy.
