A Chat with Leonardo DiCaprio
Yahoo! Chat Transcript -- November 17, 1999
Leonardo DiCaprio to Host EarthFair 2000 on the Mall in Washington, D.C. April 22, 2000
yahoomusic: Ladies and gentlemen we are proud to present
yahoomusic: Leonardo DiCaprio!!!
earth_day_leonardo: What's up everyone, how's everyone doing?
ChatYahoo_Lisa: Why do you want to be involved in Earth Day?
earth_day_leonardo: I really wanted to try and make a difference as far as environmental issues were concerned.
earth_day_leonardo: I heard about Earth Day 2000 and how many people are reached globally. They asked me to be the Chairman and I gladly accepted.
earth_day_leonardo: For the new millennium they are focusing one issue, global warming.
earth_day_leonardo: What global warming is, is basically temperatures around the world are rising, becoming extremely dangerous for all living things around the world.
earth_day_leonardo: But there are things we can do about it.
earth_day_leonardo: And that's what Earth Day 2000 is trying to focus on.
BeckFoo asks: Becky, 24, TX: Leo, it was just announced that Houston (the city I live in) has the worst ozone anywhere...What is your take on cities that have bad pollution? Do you think there are measures people can take to reduce this? Like carpooling, bussing....
earth_day_leonardo: Absolutely.
earth_day_leonardo: We talked in our cybercast about people buying cars with good fuel efficiency, or gas mileage.
earth_day_leonardo: These cars have less emissions.
earth_day_leonardo: Where I live in southern California, we have much tougher fuel emission standards. Even though it may not seem that way!
earth_day_leonardo: And if Houston had the same standards as southern California, its air would be much cleaner than it currently is.
csurgett asks: Do you have special plans for Earth Day next year?
earth_day_leonardo: Yes I have special plans for Earth Day next year!
earth_day_leonardo: On the Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 22, 2000 there are going to be tons of live entertainment as well as an energy fair, tons of speakers, a huge event with over half a million people,
earth_day_leonardo: kicking off Earth Day 2000, which will actually be the whole month of April 2000.
earth_day_leonardo: We are encouraging as many people as we can to come.
earth_day_leonardo: It is time to focus on the subject. I will be there.
earth_day_leonardo: Also, for people who can't join the event in Washington, go to www.earthday.net and see what you can do; it will steer you to an event in your own community.
Hugs_n_kissesXOXO asks: Was there an event or something that happened to you that started your concern for the environment?
earth_day_leonardo: I just remember as a young man asking myself how the human race could so blindly ignore the environment it lives in.
earth_day_leonardo: I watched a lot of television programs, documentaries and movies on wild life and the environment and was shocked to find out what we were doing to Earth.
earth_day_leonardo: Now I am in a position to make a difference, and I really want to.
earth_day_leonardo: Not only for the future of mankind, but for all living things.
spookey_spice asks: Will you change your mode of transport, then?
earth_day_leonardo: Yes. I have plans by the end of the year to buy a hybrid car.
earth_day_leonardo: A hybrid car is a car that is both electric and gasoline.
earth_day_leonardo: You fill it up at any service station, it gets 60 miles per gallon.
earth_day_leonardo: Has 80 percent fewer emissions than most cars.
earth_day_leonardo: It runs like any other car.
earth_day_leonardo: The only thing is that we have to - it's the law of supply and demand - we have to buy and endorse as best we can in order for the manufacturers to make enough of them to make a difference.
earth_day_leonardo: And with what a booming business the oil business this, it will be a hard thing to do.
Guest_Susan asks: Everyone here at Alice Maxwell is excited to say hello to you! Ms. Poss’ 2nd Grade class.
earth_day_leonardo: Hello!
earth_day_leonardo: Hello everyone in Ms. Poss' 2nd Grade class! Are you listening?!?
earth_day_leonardo: Are you guys going to do something to celebrate Earth Day 2000?
sella19 asks: Leo, what is your first environmental concern, besides global warming?
earth_day_leonardo: Saving endangered species. I saw a program when I was very young about the wildlife that is now extinct.
earth_day_leonardo: Whether it be because of environmental changes or hunting.
earth_day_leonardo: The thought of a whole species of animals wiped off the Earth forever, really saddened me as a young man.
earth_day_leonardo: That species won't be here for future generations.
elightelight asks: How expensive are the hybrid cars? Is it possible for *normal* people to afford them?
earth_day_leonardo: Hybrid cars supposedly will be from $20,000 - 25,000 apiece, and if you don't want a hybrid car, just go for one with good gas mileage.
Yahoomc: How does global warming affect our planet?
earth_day_leonardo: It effects it in a number of different ways.
earth_day_leonardo: There was an article in the news just this morning, that they have scientific proof now that the great ice cover stretching across the top of the globe has become about 40 percent thinner than it was two to four decades ago.
earth_day_leonardo: They know this from submarines under the Arctic. So now there is definitive evidence that the climate of the Arctic and sub Arctic region is warming.
earth_day_leonardo: And it is not a natural thing.
earth_day_leonardo: And we are also seeing more frequent weather events, like hurricanes and typhoons, and increase in disease in parts of the world that used to be too cold for it, spread by insects going where they used to not be able to survive.
earth_day_leonardo: Animal and plant species are moving to higher elevations and latitudes. Those that can't move, die.
earth_day_leonardo: That can dramatically the amount of food produced in regions and we will seeing flooding of the major rice-producing river deltas.
earth_day_leonardo: Half a billion people are dependent on coral reefs for their daily food intake of fish.
earth_day_leonardo: And in 1998 reefs all around the world were killed. And in places like the Maldives reefs were killed up to 90 percent.
earth_day_leonardo: The impact of global warming will make worse every other environmental problem that faces us. The thing is, it's not too late. We can reverse its effects.
pmarrama asks: What endangered animal are you most concerned about? I would really like to know!
earth_day_leonardo: Mountain gorillas.
earth_day_leonardo: Supposedly now in Rawanda the poaching of mountain gorillas is worse than ever and they are actually starting to use them for food, for nearby warring armies. If you want to help, contact the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund.
earth_day_leonardo: Or I have a link on my website for both that and for other subjects, including coral reefs, www.leonardodicaprio.com
ChatYahoo_Lisa: Leo, do you think Earth Day 2000 is going to make a difference?
earth_day_leonardo: Earth Day 1970 led directly to the Clean Air Act of 1970. And after that clean air acts were passed in other countries around the world.
earth_day_leonardo: These eliminated lead in gasoline, began to clean up power plants and automobiles.
earth_day_leonardo: Now it's time to take the next step.
earth_day_leonardo: To do for energy conservation and clean energy what we did for clean air back in 1970.
earth_day_leonardo: Here's an example. They took an ice core sample in the Arctic and it actually showed that the ice went from being very dirty to much cleaner.
earth_day_leonardo: The place it went from dirty to clean was just around when the Clean Air Act was passed.
earth_day_leonardo: Other countries, for example, China are starting to close down polluting factories and clean up dirty power plants.
earth_day_leonardo: Truly, I want to do the best I can to urge everyone, we CAN make a difference.
earth_day_leonardo: The environmental movement was started in the seventies with a bunch of college students and it has carried on until now. I think it is time for a whole new generation of young people to do the same.
earth_day_leonardo: If you have any more questions, check out my website for links to other environmental organizations.
earth_day_leonardo: I thank you all very much for listening.
earth_day_leonardo: I really, truly hope that we can make a difference.
earth_day_leonardo: Thank you!
Yahoomc: Thanks to you, Leonardo for joining us today
Yahoomc: And thanks to all of you for your great questions!
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