Page Six is part of the New York Post, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The Post has always had a hard-right lean, but I’m always fascinated to see which celebrities seem to draw a particular ire from the Post. Like, the Post absolutely loathes anything having to do with NBC, the Today Show and Matt Lauer and Brian Williams specifically. And they’re increasingly hyper-critical of Leonardo DiCaprio. I think it’s mainly about Leo’s years-long environmental work, and the Post scoffs at anyone who cares about the environment. So this ^^ was the cover of the NY Post this weekend. Leo took a private jet to and from Cannes so he could pick up an award for his environmental work.
Leo DiCaprio picked up an environmental award in NYC this week — but hypocritically expanded his carbon footprint by 8,000 miles when he obtained the honor, by taking a private jet from Cannes, then flying straight back to France on another jet for a model-packed fund-raiser a night later. DiCaprio was at the Cannes Film Festival this week, and was spotted there partying at club Gotha on Monday with model Georgia Fowler, then jetted back to New York for the Riverkeeper Fishermen’s Ball at Chelsea Piers on Wednesday, where he was honored by the clean-water advocacy group and Robert De Niro. Just 24 hours later, DiCaprio reappeared back in France for amfAR’s glitzy Cinema Against AIDS gala, where he gave a speech.
DiCaprio’s foundation just pledged $15 million to environmental causes at this year’s World Economic Forum. And during his Oscar acceptance speech, he said, “Climate change is real. It is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species.”
But he’s also been slammed for his use of private jets and yachts. Environmental analyst Robert Rapier, who said the actor’s movie-star lifestyle “diminishes his moral authority to lecture others on reducing their own carbon emissions,” told us of DiCaprio’s latest trips: “[He] demonstrates exactly why our consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow. It’s because everyone loves the combination of cost and convenience they offer. Alternatives usually require sacrifice of one form or another.” Rapier added, “Everybody says, ‘I’ve got a good reason for consuming what I consume’ . . . It’s the exact same rationalization for billions of people.”
But a source close to DiCaprio explained that the star did not charter his own flights, but merely “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.”
The amfAR gala raised $25 million, including $500,000 for an auctioned stay at DiCaprio’s Palm Springs, Calif., home, while the Riverkeeper event brought in $1.6 million. His rep didn’t comment.
Leo consistently has this problem, where his own passionate advocacy for environmental issues is always going to be undercut by his own massive carbon footprint, from the private jets to the yachts to the pack of SUVs to the huge, unnecessary apartments and mansions. He’s always had this problem, so why is it so noteworthy right now? Is it because in this particular insistence, he was actually going to and from an event in which he won an environmental award? Probably. The thing is… I don’t actually doubt Leo’s commitment to environmental causes. I genuinely believe his heart is in the right place, and that he wants to help and do good work. Does he deserve to be written off just because he doesn’t practice what he preaches?
Also – the Daily Mail had an odd story about how Leo is becoming a “recluse” because even though he was in Cannes and he was seen partying and he attended the amfAR gala, he’s still really touchy about being seen. He canceled his own yacht party and “later took a mile-long helicopter ride to avoid being snapped on the red carpet” for the amfAR gala. As in, he took a helicopter from his rented villa to the gardens of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc just so he wouldn’t have to walk the red carpet. Which should be used as another example of his crazy carbon footprint, not of his isolation.
Photos courtesy of the NY Post, Fame/Flynet.
I keep meaning to watch his Cowspiracy documentary. But, I think he believes that the Beef industry (and the volume of methane gas it produces) is far, far worse for the environment than airplanes. Also, with his wealth, and desire for optics, I’m sure he buys carbon credits to offset his flights.
There are studies out there about that, is not like he just believe it.
Buying carbon credits is still hypocrisy. If I understand correctly you pay and some other entity actually lessens its emissions by the amount of credits purchased. Perhaps I’m not understanding but it comes across as a shifting of responsibility. It’s similar to confessing to a sin, doing penance for/being absolved of said sin and then committing the sin again. He could have done a video acceptance, live or canned. Leo comes across as environmentally correct as long as it doesn’t affect his creature comforts. Ed Begley, Jr. walks the walk.
Yeah, I’ve read about how cow poop is deadly for the environment. Its a pretty convincing argument but there are some suggestions on how to offset the problem. I also heard that dog poop isn’t so great for the environment either. Yikes!
Cows have been around for way longer than cars, and airplanes, and production plants, and… Just saying, interesting, how COWS all of a sudden created those problems. It’s not like pollution grew with increased industrialisation, non?
@sauvage it’s pretty laughable how cows are now being blamed for global warming. They were around since the beginning of time and way before industrialization. I can’t wait to see what will be blamed next. So why have cows just become the problem now. Lol
Yep. Write him off.
Yup. It’s just like those political activists who preach peace and harmony, and then go home and abuse their wife and children. Thanx, but no thanx.
it’s hard to take anyone seriously when they pull a “do as I say, not as I do” and yet they’re preaching loud and proud about something.
I would have had a little respect for him if he had said “I’d love to be there but it doesn’t make sense for me to fly back and forth in a 24 hour span to accept an environmental award, I’ll accept via Skype”.
so, while I won’t write him off completely, he does need to improve on his actions re: the environment.
I agree!! He is part of the elite who thinks the peasants should live one way. God forbid I don’t recycle a can I AM THE PROBLEM, not the people flying in private jets with a an entourage.
This is like the politicians who call for gun control behind 20 armed security guards. There is currently such a disconnect between the real people and the media, the politicians, and the celebrities.
Okay, while I agree with the environment argument you’re posing, your example of a politician calling for gun control behind 20 armed guards is a poor comparison to the environmental issue. Anyone speaking out against gun control HAS to say it behind armed guards because if you don’t, the people who think you’re trying to steal all their guns will come and shoot you. You don’t really have much of an option there, unless you just never leave your house again for the rest of your life.
So @ Kristen are you saying that everyone who speaks out against the right to own guns has to hide behind armed guards because all of the rest of us who believe we have a right to own guns will shoot them. Wow that is quite a theory. I guess I should be scared to admit that I raise beef too because apparently I am causing a gigantic carbon footprint. Maybe I should give up and go on welfare.
and all of that would have been so easy and also less stressful. flying private is obviously way more comfortable but still no deadline to meet and he could have stay at a nice place in Cannes.
but he still did it…
this was really a super easy opportunity to at least pretend to care.
“Does he deserve to be written off just because he doesn’t practice what he preaches?” Uh yes! Who is he to lecture and consult when he is a huge polluter himself. He can do much better. Simply owning a Prius does not make you an environmentalist.
did you see the South Park ep about people buying a Prius and the “smug” (play on words with smog) problem?
really, REALLY, funny.
Yep…smelling their own farts and everything. “Thaaaaaaaaaanks”. LMAO
I used to love Leo because he really is a good actor. It’s unfortunate his personal life overshadows his talents. He’s such a douche that I don’t get the same enjoyment from watching his movies as I used to because all I see is douchebaggery from a man old enough to know better.
You asked “Does he deserve to be written off because he doesn’t practice what he preaches?” Yes. It’s called hypocrisy. You earn respect from walking the walk – not preaching.
Word!
I remember the stories back in Titanic time that he was shy and had hard time seeing Kate Winstlet nude. Now he just seems like one of his sleezy characters in the movies, like in Wolf of Wallstreet. I have no idea who or how he’s like in reality, it’s just the media image.. and that look of self certain grin and all. I don’t know. But he’s a good actor, which I never thought I’d say.
Although it is hypocrite, things must be seen in a correct perspective. For example, the meat industry alone pollutes more than all transportations combined. So if we say we are concern about the environment and yet we are eating meat, we are hypocrites too.
Also, Leo has given lots of money to research, produced documentaries, etc. I do believe he actually cares about the environment and I won’t hate him for these missteps.
+1
How many celebs fly private jets and we’re gonna pick on the one who actually tries to do something to offset that?
It’s like people expect the dude to ride his bike to Cannes.
BTW, people who use their cars to commute for hours everyday are doing far worse to the environment than a celeb who flies on a private jet a few times a month.
first of all thats not true, its far worse and second of all they need the jobs, there is no way around it. guess what some people dont make millions of being pretty. Leo does not have to attend this award stuff nor do you need to party on yachts or spend your vacations on them.
Um yes actually it is VERY true. Cars are one of the leading causes of global warming.
And sorry but that’s complete BS that people “need” to commute one person per car—-especially where I live where we have an extensive and wide-reaching public transit system.
You know there are these crazy contraptions known as trains and commuter rails and this wacky thing called CARPOOLING. But I get it: it’s easier to rail against the rich celebrity than to look at ourselves and what we do to adversely impact the environment.
Kitten:
I think the issue is that people like Leo (and other celebrities) lecture regular people about doing their part, while doing the exact opposite. There are celebrities like Ed Begley Jr. who live the life they preach. I’m sorry, but I see Leo’s kind of activism as a feel-good activism, i.e. saying the right things and donating money because it makes him feel and look like a good person without having to actually do the hard work.
@Babsie-Yes I agree that is EXACTLY it. People don’t want to be made to feel guilty about their lifestyle by a rich celeb. Never mind the fact that he’s not actually lecturing anyone (but that’s of course how people see it) but doing his part to offset his carbon footprint. To me, that’s his responsibility as someone who purports to care about the environment. To everyone else here, that’s “hypocrisy” or whatever.
It’s just amusing that there are celebrities who live the EXACT same lifestyle as Leo (and plenty who consume FAR more than he does) and do ZERO to help the environment but we’re ok with those celebrities. They’re cool because they’re not “lecturing” us (making us feel guilty) by funding documentaries about meat consumption or donating to environmental charities.
LOL
I mean, just from a logical, rational standpoint I find all of this absurd but I’ve already argued more about this than I care to (and I’m no Leo stan) so carry on I guess.
Kitten, you’re forgetting that in many cities outside of the north/northeast, there aren’t trains and mass transit like you have up there. In really sprawling cities like Houston, Los Angeles, etc. carpooling isn’t possible because all of your co-workers probably live in different suburbs 30 miles away from you (that’s 30 miles on congested freeways). Commuting isn’t a choice as much as it is a necessity.
Aside from that, I agree with your point about people refusing to acknowledge their own carbon footprint while railing against celebrities for theirs.
Yeah… I’m all for holding Leo’s feet to the fire. But more and more, it seems like the media has a narrative set that they want to hold onto with Leo. He’s trash because he parties. And clearly US upstanding American citizens never partied so he’s a douche. lol
I can’t ever take anything seriously with NY Post on liberal or left leaning activities… so i would take Page Six on Leo with a grain of salt. Its like Lainey consistently bent on Leo like she’s got a hard on or an ax to grind. Its abnormal to be so obsessed with him and his dating. Because anyone with half a can of sense knows he’s not really dating every woman he’s pictured with… so stop with New Girlfriend headlines when he’s dancing with a woman in the club, or walking down the street with another woman.
As for the plane ride, I think its actually good to hold him accountable for it. But i do believe his response. I think its crazy… have you gone to Cannes. Its a full 9-10hr flight, which is another level of commitment you just don’t do if you’re not committed. It takes a day to recover from that flight and he did it twice in less than 36 hrs. So hitching a ride with your rich pals for the environment award… not the smartest move. But, also its not the end of the world. And believe the expert Page Six hired is def working with conservative media. Yes, Leo and the rest of us need to reduce our carbon footprint. Does it diminish all the work he’s done because he parties on a yacht, hell no. But we should keep him and everyone honest about what it takes to be better.
The Post is nothing more than a tabloid rag.
@terese The post has an agenda. I take everything they say about left leaning celebrities and politicians with a grain of salt.
Leo’s carbon footprint won’t make a difference even if it were reduced close to zero. He produces about 10.000 metric tons of greenhouse gas a year. Walmart produces 21 million tons. California film industry 8,4 million tons.
He is getting trashed for his lifestyle but I think his work for environmentalism by far outweights his carbon footprint. Just look at the numbers and set them off against the work he does for the environment.
Yeah, he is getting trashed a lot because of his private lifestyle (party, his “wolves” and models) but he is doing a lot of good work.
Yah, huge side eye to the guy who took a private jet to Calgary, Alberta and lectured Canadians about global warming during a Chinook. Leo needs to do some f-king research, because he’s not helping the important cause of raising awareness about global warming by being an idiot. Whatever you think of his charitable contributions, it’s the public actions that get noticed.
I don’t have any great love for Leo but I was wondering purely on a mathematical level whether it’d be better for the environment to take a small jet to and from a destination with minimal stops rather than a large plane that will be flying, stopping, diverting and etc.
Honestly just curious.
Stop making sense Saks.
I never really cared too much about Leo until he started criticizing the oil sands which was a bit rich considering his lifestyle. And when he was filming in Calgary, Alberta and thought a Chinook was an example of global warming. Maybe shut your mouth unless you know the facts for sure Leo. (Not disputing anything about global warming, but there is a difference between that and chinooks)
There is literally no way he buys enough carbon offsets to mitigate his lifestyle considering he has been presumably living like this since the titanic era. He treats private jets like us plebes treat an uber. Also the “source” really highlights the excuse making “oh he just went along with someone who was already going”.
while he could maybe make a weak argument that his work requires private flights to fulfill obligations. There is no excuse for yachts or taking a helicopter such a short distance. He probably caught wind of the blowback from his whirlwind private jet trips and cancelled the yacht party accordingly.
Also I don’t think these are just recent stories floated by Rupert Murdoch. These stories about dicaprio’s hypocrisy have been trickling out since the Sony leak. A matter of fact, the New York Times basically asked him about his carbon footprint in the story about his Eco resort.
Estimations are that he produces 10.000 metric tons of greenhouse gases a year = 500 times the average Joe’s.
Walmart produces 21 million tons of the same a year.
California film industry 6,4 million.
In other words: his emission although big by Little Man’s standards just don’t make a dent altogether.
Try this one: vox dot com/2016/3/2/11143310/leo-dicaprios-carbon-lifestyle
In one of his speeches Dicaprio said that industrial action was needed and he was right on that one.
Do I think Leonardo DiCaprio is truly passionate about environmental causes? Yes, I actually do. But he doesn’t seem to have a real desire to change how he lives his own life, and while the amount of money he gives and raises for the cause does likely offset his own lavish lifestyle, the internet age hasn’t been kind to Leo. It seems a bit like he is stuck in the 90s and early 00s, where stars were able to control what parts of their lives we see, and were able to control their images better. Now we see how he spends his free time, we see the mega yachts and the jetting around the globe.
Changes to his own lifestyle won’t make a difference to the environment as the scale of action needed is simply so big.
Dicaprios calculation looks like this: carbon emissions for private jet VS promoting environmentalism. The former are so ridiculously small in comparison to what is needed that the latter actually ranks higher.
But ultimately, can those that are urging others to change their lifestyles do so without changing their own and still be taken seriously? Consumption is absolutely a facet of environmental activism. The less you purchase and use and waste, the less that needs to be produced in the first place.
@Bridget, Amen.
Typical Hollywood. Say your an environmentalist, then fly private and vacation on yachts. Say that you’re anti-gun, probably have an end of times arsenal at home. And so on and so forth…
I’ve always considered him to be a hypocrite of sorts. He could fly commercial and reduce his time on yachts, he could move around in Green cars. Nobody ever gets close enough to pester him, so why the need to constantly fly by private planes/jets?
While delivering his Acceptance speech at the Oscars, he said production had to move to the south of Argentina because snow was scarce in Canada, alluding it was because of Global Warming (nevermind they landed in June-July; winter in Argentina and Summer in Canada) and he arrived by private jet. He could have flown commercially to Buenos Aires and then hopped on a domestic flight to Tierra del Fuego. Nobody papped him there – I’m not sure people even knew he was there until production wrapped up and they all left.
So yeah, he should walk his own walk a bit more. His sleazy Wolf Pack image is not even the problem here.
Not surprised. Typical behavior for a lot of the Hollywood crowd. Talk the talk but do not walk the walk.
It is hard to take anyone seriously if they can’t practice what they preach, no matter how much their heart is in the right place. I just tune them out as I do with him on this issue. Also, I’m not a strong believer that Leo is the sharpest tool in the shed anyways.
There is an article on the web which points out that Dicaprio’s carbon foot print doesn’t make a difference because in relation to what needs to be done to improve things. Even his carbon foot print just won’t make a difference even if it were just 1% of what it is.
Here is an interesting point from elsewhere from the web.
Let’s say that by flying and yachting all over the world, DiCaprio is responsible for 500 times the emissions of the average American — 10,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases a year.
How much is that? Here are some annual greenhouse gas emission figures, in metric tons (years range from 2010 to 2013):
Global: 46 billion
US: 6.673 billion
California: 459.3 million
Walmart: 21 million
Los Angeles: 18.595 million
California film industry: 8.4 million
Even if extravagant by mere mortal standards, DiCaprio’s personal emissions are a fart in the wind when it comes to climate change. If he vanished tomorrow, and all his emissions with him, the effect on global temperature, even on US emissions, even on film-industry emissions, would be lost in the noise.
Climate change is extremely large. No single human can directly generate enough emissions to make a dent. And all indications are that DiCaprio knows that. That’s why he said:
Just curious do you work for him or are you some kind of superfan?
I don’t think anyone was legitimately implying that his carbon footprint was as large as Wal-mart. Seems a wee bit like a straw man to obscure the fact that people think he’s a hypocrite
A fan but no superfan.
I was trying to point out that holding him accountable for large environmental damages is a bit over the top because he just doesn’t consume that much in comparison to other industries or even in comparison to the impact his private jetting will have.
You gotta see the proportions. He gets much more flack for environmental pollution than most of the biggest polluting industries. WTF???
I sometimes suspect a media campaign against environmentalists. Whenever Dicaprio does a major environmental event (e.g. UN) there are lots of articles pointing out his gas-guzzling lifestyle. It seems to me that the media tries to destroy his credibility in environmental activism.
He’s giving plenty of ammunition, though. And your comparison isn’t great considering that you’re comparing one man’s carbon footprint with states and major corporations. That’s great, Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t have nearly as big of a footprint as WalMart. He may be one man, but isn’t that the entire point of the movement? That each individual make these changes? And yet while he’s happy to give money, he can’t seem to be bothered to change how he lives his life. How can you ask other people to do so when you can’t yourself?
@ Bridget:
Dicaprio is giving plenty of activism for environmentalism and plenty of ammunition, though. If so we should be honest in mentioning both, right?
One man’s carbon footprint is ridiculously small against that of states and the industry in general. The comparison is perfect as the media prefers to crucify one man instead of pointing out the main pollutors whose pollution could be easily reigned in by laws. It is the same hypocrisy that makes the media demand that the car thief be hanged but that investment banking department of a major bank be helped with federal tax money. That was exactly what happend during the financial crisis and it still makes my blood boil. Those bankers (nearly?) derailed the world economy because they were greedy. In the wake of that many hard working people lost their jobs and their homes. But how many of those bankers were jailed? And how many car thieves can’t expect help not even after they served their sentence.
Apparently some people don’t read the subtext of such quality media prints.
You have to see things in their proportions and in relation to society in general.
As for setting an example: please do describe the whole picture: one the one hand Dicaprio does a lot of private jet setting and some yachting and on the other hand Dicaprio does a lot of environmental activism and has done that for decades and he is setting off his carbon foot print (by supporting equally that much rain forest in order to “neutralize” his carbon foot print). Dicaprio has built solar panels on his roof and a couple of other things in his house(s). Dicaprio advertises environmentalism through his websites and through his foundation which supports environmental projects. He does often lend his voice as a celebrity to environmental causes. That is a lot more than many people do and you still have to prove that all these things don’t balance out his private yachting and jet setting.
He’s just another celebrity that things the rules don’t apply. What a smug group. This attitude goes hand in hand with the Woody Allen story as well the support for Polanski. Entitled lot.