DENIS HAYES: HI, I'M DENIS HAYES, I WAS THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST EARTH DAY BACK IN 1970 AND I'M HEADING UP A CAMPAIGN FOR EARTH DAY 2000 NOW.

JOHN ADAMS: HELLO, I'M JOHN ADAMS, PRESIDENT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, AND I'M THRILLED AND GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR HOST'S HOSPITALITY SO THAT WE CAN USE THIS EXCITING NEW MEDIUM THAT WE ARE USING HERE TODAY.

DENIS HAYES: AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO KICK OFF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY -- THE REAL MILLENNIAL CELEBRATION -- THAN TO INTRODUCE OUR HOST AND NEW CHAIRMAN, A YOUNG MAN WHOSE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT HAVE BROUGHT HIM HERE TODAY -- LEONARDO DICAPRIO.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: THANKS YOU VERY MUCH, A PLEASURE. AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, PERSONALLY, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO ME. THAT'S WHY I WAS TRULY HONORED WHEN YOU CALLED AND ASKED ME TO BE PART OF EARTH DAY 2000. I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR ALL OF US SERIOUSLY TO FOCUS ON WHAT I FEEL IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY THAT WE FACE IN THE MILLENNIUM. SO, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ASK YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND TRY TO MAKE THIS STUFF A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. SO FIRST OF ALL, WHAT EXACTLY IS EARTH DAY, FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW?

DENIS HAYES: WELL, FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, EVERY YEAR, EARTH DAY HAS BEEN A DAY FOR EVERYONE IN THE WORLD TO FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE -- THE PLANTS, THE ANIMALS, THE OCEANS, THE AIR WE BREATHE, THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET. EARTH DAY IS A POSITIVE STEP ON BEHALF OF THIS PLANET, BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE ESPECIALLY EXCITED. AS WE CROSS OVER INTO THE 21ST CENTURY BECAUSE EARTH DAY WILL NOT JUST BE A SINGLE DAY CELEBRATION, BUT AN ENTIRE MONTH OF ACTIVITY,

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: OH, IT'S A MONTH? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WILL BE TAKING PART IN THE EARTH DAY 2000 CELEBRATION?

DENIS HAYES: WE'RE EXPECTING ABOUT 500 MILLION PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: WOW!

DENIS HAYES: HALF A BILLION PEOPLE. WE ALREADY HAVE THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED -- THAT IS THIRTY-TWO HUNDRED -- ORGANIZATIONS FROM 167 COUNTRIES THAT ARE PLANNING CAMPAIGNS. BY THE TIME WE GET TO NEXT APRIL, FOR EARTH DAY WE'LL HAVE AN EARTH DAY ORGANIZATION FOR EVERY NATION IN THE WORLD.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: COOL ... HOW ABOUT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

DENIS HAYES: WELL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN HERE AS WELL, BUT THE LARGEST EVENT IN THE U.S. WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE MALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WE EXPECT MANY HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO GATHER AND, AS YOU KNOW, YOU ARE GOING TO BE KICKING THAT OFF.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: I DO! SO FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO TAKE PART IN THIS EVENT, DO THEY HAVE TO PAY, OR IS IT FREE? AND WHEN FOR EXACTLY IS IT?

DENIS HAYES: IT'S ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND AND IT'S FREE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE WASHINGTON, D.C., EVENT IS SHOW UP ON THE MALL, AND FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT TO WAIT THAT LONG TO START TO GET INVOLVED, THEY CAN FOLLOW UP THIS WEBCAST WITH A CHAT ABOUT THESE SAME ISSUES.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: JOHN, I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN HISTORY THAT EARTH DAY HAS FOCUSED ON JUST ONE ISSUE, HIGHLIGHTING JUST ONE ASPECT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE OVER ALL THE OTHERS. CAN WE TALK ABOUT "GLOBAL WARMING?" I PERSONALLY FEEL THIS IS THE MOST HIGHLY IGNORED, YET IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THE WORLD TODAY. IS THE PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS? OR HOW IT AFFECTS THEM? CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHAT GLOBAL WARMING IS IN LAYMAN'S TERMS?

JOHN ADAMS: WELL, LEONARDO, I WILL TRY TO.. THERE IS A CONSENSUS AMONG SCIENTISTS THAT POLLUTION FROM AUTOMOBILES AND POWER PLANTS ARE CAUSING THE WORLD'S TEMPERATURE TO INCREASE. AND THAT INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE RESULTS IN THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR OCEAN REEFS, THE MELTING OF THE POLAR IC E CAPS, RISING SEA LEVELS, AND WORSE.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. THE SCIENTISTS TELL US IT IS -- WHO SAY DIFFERENTLY -- WE'VE BEEN POLLUTING THE AIR FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, SO WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE THAT THERE'S ANY REAL BAD EFFECT? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?

JOHN ADAMS: I WOULD SAY THEY HAD THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND. OPEN A WINDOW, WATCH THE NEWS. LOOK AT THE WACKY WEATHER WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING LATELY ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE HAVE FLOODS, SEVERE HURRICANES, FIRES, MUD-SLIDES, HEAT WAVES, TWISTERS, DROUGHTS. THE BULK OF THE MOST CURRENT EVIDENCE APPEARS TO BE FALLING IN LINE WITH SCIENTISTS' PREDICTIONS OF WHAT THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING WOULD IN FACT LOOK LIKE.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: WOW, SCARY STUFF. SO WHAT DOES THIS CAMPAIGN DO TO PROMOTE SOLUTIONS?

DENIS HAYES: IT IS SCARY STUFF, BUT THE NICE THING IS WE KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO PROMOTE WITH EARTH DAY 2000 IS CLEAN ENERGY NOW! IT IS MADE UP OF FOUR MAIN PARTS; "CLEAN INVESTMENTS," "CLEAN AIR," "CLEAN POWER," AND "CLEAN CARS."

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: OK, LET'S GO OVER THEM ONE BY ONE. NOW, CLEAN INVESTMENTS, NOW WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

DENIS HAYES: YOU'VE GOT TO INCREASE FOUR-FOLD THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE GOVERNMENT IS INVESTING IN CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY. THEY'VE GOT TO START INVESTING IN CLEAN ENERGY AND SWITCHING THE MONEY OUT OF STUFF THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SPENDING TO SUBSIDIZE THE COAL AND THE OIL INDUSTRY. WE ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE JOB TRAINING FOR WORKERS.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: "CLEAN POWER?"

DENIS HAYES: THAT'S REALLY SIMPLE. THE IDEA HERE IS TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF POWER WE GET FROM CLEAN SOURCES, LIKE THE SUN, THE WIND, AND BIO-FUELS. AND WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP THE WAY THAT WE USE ENERGY SO THAT WE DON'T WASTE SO MUCH.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: "CLEAN AIR?"

DENIS HAYES: THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF AIR POLLUTION BUT THE ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO FOCUS ON IS OLD DIRTY POWER PLANTS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID THE LAW. WE WANT THE DIRTY ONES TO BE JUST AS CLEAN AS THE BRAND NEW ONES.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: YOU'VE TOLD ME THAT YOU'VE DRIVEN WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED A HYBRID CAR, THAT PERFORMS JUST AS WELL AS A REGULAR CAR WITH 80 PERCENT LOWER EMISSIONS. CAN ANYONE JUST GO OUT THERE AND BUY ONE THE NEXT TIME THEY GET A CAR? I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE A TANGIBLE THING ANYONE CAN DO.

DENIS HAYES: THEY CAN DO IT VERY SOON IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY CAN IN JAPAN RIGHT NOW. THEY'VE SOLD MORE THAN 30,000 OF THESE HYBRIDS IN JAPAN. THEY'RE GOING TO BE INTRODUCED HERE SOON. THE ONE THAT I DROVE FOR A MONTH, THAT WAS A TOYOTA PRIUS. I TOOK IT OVER THE MOUNTAINS, AND THROUGH THE DESERT AND A LOT OF CITY DRIVING. THROUGH ALL OF THAT, IT GOT MORE THAN 60 MPG AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY SPUNKY AND PLENTY OF ROOM FOR PEOPLE AND IT;S CLEAN. HONDA'S GOING TO BE PRODUCING A HYBRID SOON. FORD HAS PROMISED AND ALL OF THE REST ARE GOING TO FOLLOW. AS LONG AS THERE'S ENOUGH MARKET DEMAND… IF PEOPLE GET OUT THERE AND START BUYING THEM AS SOON AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE. THEN, SUDDENLY EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUY ONE.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO TO A GAS STATION AND PUMP IT UP JUST AS YOU DO.

DENIS HAYES: YES, THEY RUN ON GAS AS REGULAR CARS DO.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: OK, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T IN A POSITION TO BUY A HYBRID CAR YET --WHAT CAN THEY DO?

JOHN ADAMS: WELL, THAT'S AVERY GOOD QUESTION. FIRST, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WALK, BIKE, CARPOOL, USE MASS-TRANSIT. BUT EVERY TIME YOU PUT A FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR THAT GETS GOOD MILEAGE ON THE ROAD YOU REDUCE EMISSIONS SIGNIFICANTLY, IN FACT, BY THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF CARBON.

DENIS HAYES: OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE TRACK OF POLITICS. YOU WANT TO KEEP TRACK OF THE VOTING RECORDS OF CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL OFFICE. STAY ON TOP OF THE ISSUES AND WRITE TO THEM OR CALL THEN IF THEY DO SOMETHING GOOD. ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO SOMETHING BAD TO BE SURE TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS. WE NEED CLEAN CARS AND CLEAN ENERGY AND WE HAVE TO HAVE LEADERS WHO ARE PREPARED TO FIGHT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: SO, IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ACTUAL SOLUTION, AND THAT IS THE HARD QUESTION, TO GLOBAL WARMING IS?

JOHN ADAMS: WELL, IT IS A HARD QUESTION, BUT I'LL TRY TO ANSWER IT IN A SIMPLE WAY. THE SOLUTION TO THE GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM CAN B E SUMMED UP IN FIVE ITEMS: WE NEED TO PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WE NEED TO CLEAN UP DIRTY POWER PLANTS, WE NEED TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY, WE NEED TO IMPROVE AUTOMOBILE EFFICIENCY, AND, FINALLY, PROMOTE ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS VEHICLES. AND SIMPLY PUT, IF PEOPLE OF YOUR GENERATION BUY FUEL-EFFICIENT CARS, THEY CAN GO A LONG WAY TO SAVING OUR CLIMATE.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: WOW? THIS IS ENCOURAGING. WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO RAISE AWARENESS NOW IS THE QUESTION?

JOHN ADAMS: FRANKLY, I MUST SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I'M HERE TODAY. WE ARE SO THRILLED THAT YOU AGREED TO ACT AS CHAIRMAN OF THIS EVENT THIS YEAR. WE BELIEVE THAT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WILL BRING A LOT OF GOOD ATTENTION OF A WHOLE GENERATION OF PEOPLE AND START THEM FORCING A PLAN TO CREATE CLEAN ENERGY.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: WELL, I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN ANY WAY I CAN. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE . I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A LOT. JOHN ADAMS OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

JOHN ADAMS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: AND DENIS HAYES, OF THE EARTH DAY NETWORK.

DENIS HAYES: THANK YOU, LEO.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO: SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU ALL AT THE CAPITAL ON THE NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND IN THE YEAR 2000. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.