This Sunday on Discovery’s brand-new channel Planet Green, Leonardo DiCaprio is debuting a 13-part series about Greensburg, Kansas. Greensburg was completely destroyed by a tornado last year and is rebuilding itself, in the words of the New York Times, as “the nation’s first Platinum city, the highest certification green design can attain.” Here’s Leo, telling us what’s what:
“We are in the Environmental Age whether we like it or not,” Mr. DiCaprio wrote in an e-mail message. “Unfortunately, our government has failed to respond to this monumental issue in the way they should. Until we become less reliant on foreign oil and put aggressive environmental policies into action, it will be towns like Greensburg, Kan., taking matters into their own hands on a grass-roots level. I am excited that my production company gets to be a part of a moment in American history where one town has decided to set the example for the green building movement.”
Now, it’s nice that he’s doing something to help a struggling community to rebuild. And if it just so happens to fit in with his little pet cause, good for him. (”Oh my God, it’s actually called Greensburg? That’s perfect!”) But his Olympian arrogance is a bit tough to take. Just as a reminder, here’s another glimpse at how Leo is reducing his own dependence on foreign oil:
What, he powers that estate with good intentions? Not to mention his insistence on flying around on private jets, and all the other planet-destroying luxuries he can afford. As Counterpunch (hardly a bunch of right-wingers) put it: “Using Leonardo DiCaprio to tell people to ‘recycle, reduce and re-use’ is kind of like asking a crackhead to promote cocaine abstinence.”
I’ll start listening to Leo’s blather about saving the planet when he shrinks his carbon footprint to no more than 10 times my own.
Become less reliant on foreign oil? Is Leo saying we should drill in Anwar and off the Florida and California coasts? Now that is something I can get behind!!
A better celebrity spokesperson for the green life-style is Ed Begley, Jr., whom I recently heard speak at the PSEG GlobalGreen2008 Expo in Liberty State Park in northern New Jersey. He is someone who really “walks the walk”, beginning with his 1500-sq-ft. home–and he’s entertaining to boot! I’m looking forward to his show being avaiable on my cable system.
My first thought about that series was to wonder if they’ll go back and talk about any short- comings building “green” has.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/379ikbea.asp
I doubt it.
Why shouldn’t towns take matters into their own hands instead of relying on the gummit to do everything for them?
This little piece of news remembers me the Roman emperors of old times. If my memory serves me well, they used to ask a high-level of moral conduct from their citizens while having lavish orgies themselves. They used to do this to show their superiority.
Looks like Leo is just doing the same thing.
Who said they shouldn’t?
Leo is just following the fad. Like he’s really going to walk the walk. Few of these people do.
Simon Scowl: Apparently Leo thinks they shouldn’t.
“I am excited that my production company gets to be a part of a moment in American history where one town has decided to set the example for the green building movement.â€
Now, it’s nice that he’s doing something to help a struggling community to rebuild.”
Is his production company actually helping with the rebuilding, or are they just there taking pictures of the rebuilding?
Who does he think he is? David Suzuki? I really hope not, he couldn’t match Suzuki in intelligence or looks!
I saw David Suzuki in a movie once. He trained a gawky teenager from New Jersey to kick ass with karate. He eventually beats the bullies that tormented him and wins their respect, and the girl.
What I’m trying to say is he looks just like Pat Morita.
Well I guess that makes David Suzuki and Pat Morita smarter and better looking than Leo.
Hey, hey, hey! Pat Morita is/was a handsome, handsome man. His massive intellect made David- Aw to Hell with it. I don’t even know who David Suzuki is. I just Googled his picture.
his house isn’t even that big…
Compared to what, the Vatican?
I’m for Leo. Did you know that jets help cool the planet by making those reflective contrails?
While there is a possibility that what you say about Di Caprio is true, there are two problems: 1. You don’t indicate that you have shcked with him about whether he has initiated any green pracdtices in either the construction or use of his home. You should do that before complaining.
2. Your complaint against Di Caprio detracts from two important messages: first, that he has worked hard around the world to spread environmental messages. And second, it detracts from the efforts of Greensburg to be leaders in LEED (envornmental) construction.
My suggestion is that while nobody is perfect, many of us work to improve our green footprint over time. One of our cars is a Prius, but keeping our 1991 Sable until it dies is conserving energy and materials and I’m not going to sell my 1997 van because I only use it to carry lots of people or other special duties. But an overhead camera taking a picture of the van could create the perception that my family didn’t care about the environment. Please be careful who and how you attack; mistakes degrade you.
It’s true: I have never shcked with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Indeed.