In my last but one post I penned
on the efforts of Angelina Jolie on environmental issues. In my last post I
projected the activities of Al Gore, a former United States of America Vice
President, towards the achievement of sustainable balance between nature and
economy. In this post I am going to throw the searchlight on yet another
celebrity. The name of the celebrity is captured in the title of this post-
Leonardo Dicaprio.
PROFILE
Leonardo Dicaprio was born on November
11, 1974 in Los Angeles, California, USA. His full name is Leonardo Wilhelm
Dicaprio. As an actor he acted in a James Cameron film called “Titanic”.
Titanic is a real story about the sinking of an ocean liner. Leonardo Dicaprio
is an award winning actor. In February 2016 he was awarded his first Oscar. He
worked with 24 orphans from an SOS Village in Maputo, Mozambique, Africa to
make the film “Blood Diamond”.
ENVIRONMENT
In 1998 at age 24, Leonardo
Dicaprio founded a foundation with a mission of conserving the last wild places
on Earth and applying solutions that will engender harmonious chemistry between
man and nature. The name of the foundation is Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation. The
Foundation developed a three- pronged methodology to get the mission going. The
three prongs are (grantmaking) fundraising, public campaigns and media
projects. The Foundation’s total direct financial donation to date is over $59
million. The focal areas of the Foundation’s activities are:
PROTECTING
BIODIVERSITY
FOREST AND OCEAN
CONSERVATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
I am moving on to dilate on the
three focal areas.
PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY
At its third annual gala at Saint
Tropez, Monaco in July, 2016, the Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation raised 45
million US dollars towards the protection of endangered wildlife and tackling
climate change. The Foundation is preserving endangered species by embarking on
result- driven preservation projects in the world’s biodiverse ecosystems.
Stemming from its mission the Foundation gives grants aim at creating a bright
future for endangered animals and plants by ensuring the safety and security of
natural habitats.
ICUN (International Union for
Conservation of Nature) says 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity is
tucked away in indigenous and traditional places. It stands to reason that in
protecting biological diversity, local people’s commitment in that direction
ought to be the target of support. Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation gives such
strategic support to indigenous people and groups for enhanced conservation
efforts. Current grant allocated is $2,100,000.00. Beneficiaries include Utah DineBikeyah, United Tribes of Bristol Bay and Wishtoyo Foundation.
FOREST AND OCEAN CONSERVATION
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation
gives grants towards wildlife and habitat conservation. The Foundation looks
out for, support and work with environmental programs and committed groups with
cutting edge and effective ideas in conservation activities.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation is
in the forefront of ocean conservation. The Foundation is engaged in preserving
ocean ecosystems and marine wildlife.
Despite the critical importance
of the oceans to life only 2% of the world ocean is formally protected.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation partners other environmental bodies to protect
endangered species in the oceans, prevent overfishing, and establish and
enlarge protected areas in the oceans. Current grant from the Foundation for
the oceans is $2, 525, 000.00.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation
gives grant to grass roots engagement in the fight against climate change.
These grants support local partners of Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation who are
making efforts to protect and prevent attack of ecosystems and life forms whose
existence are being threaten by the negative effect of climate change.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation
aims to give advice and guidance to policymakers and emerging leaders on the
use and growth of clean energy economies globally.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Foundation
has allocated grant towards efforts to lower greenhouse gases for a clean and
green economy, through legal means, media and technology. Beneficiaries of this
grant include Our Children’s Trust and Desmog Blog.
SUMMARY
In my last two posts I covered
Angelina Jolie Pitt and Al Gore as celebrities applying their resources to
ensure a clean and balanced environment sustainably, in this post the focus is on
another celebrity, Leonardo Dicaprio.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s area of
endeavor is conservation and harmonious chemistry between man and nature.
Leonardo Dicaprio has establish a
foundation through which he raises fund for environmental activities.
The Foundation established by
Leonardo Dicaprio partner up with other environmental organizations to carry
out their activities. Also they give grants to environmental organizations,
particularly indigenous environmental groups in areas where most of the world’s
biological diversity are.
PARTING SHOT
In my last but one post I
indicated that Angelina Jolie Pitt’s angle was conservation of forest reserves.
Al Gore was concerned with the running of economies in environmentally friendly
manner to achieve a world in balance. Leonardo Dicaprio is also pushing towards
preservation of biodiversity, forest and ocean conservation and climate change.
A little here, a little there. The convergence of these individual and body
corporate efforts for now is a natural environment slowly but steadily freeing
itself from the anthropogenic environmental mess it finds itself in. Angelina
Jolie Pitt is contributing her quota, Al Gore is contributing his quota and
Leonardo Dicaprio is contributing his quota too. What about you? Don’t just
follow them as celebrities, follow them as environmentalists as well, to help
achieve a clean and balanced environment, sustainably.
Sunday, 31st July,
2016 was World Ranger Day. I take this opportunity to salute the good rangers
of the world who are working hard to preserve wildlife.
Reference:
Comments
Post a Comment