DiCaprio Responds After Brazil's Bolsonaro Claims He Is Contributing to Amazon Fires
02 December 2019
Popular
(L) Leonardo DiCaprio. JB Lacroix / Getty Images (R) Jair Bolsonaro. Jeso Carneiro / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0
Right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has found a new person to blame for the record number of wildfires that have ravaged the Amazon rainforest this year: actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio.
<p>"Leonardo DiCaprio is a great guy, isn't he?" Bolsonaro said Friday, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/30/world/leonardo-dicaprio-bolsonaro-amazon-fires-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">as CNN reported</a>. "Donating money to set the Amazon on fire."</p><p>This is not the first time that Bolsonaro has blamed environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for intentionally starting fires in order to raise money. While indigenous and environmental groups have blamed Bolsonaro's pro-development rhetoric and policies for the uptick in illegal burns in the Amazon, the president has pushed back by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bolsonaro-statement-amazon-wildfires-2639952410.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">shifting blame</a>. This August, as the news of the fires sparked international outrage, he claimed that "everything indicates" the fires were started by NGOs, though he did not provide any proof.</p><p>His accusations against DiCaprio come as four volunteer firefighters have been arrested for allegedly starting fires in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/brazil" target="_self">Brazil</a>'s northern Pará state in order to attract NGO donations, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-50613054" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. Specifically, the <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF) has been accused of paying the firefighters for photographs of burned forest. WWF denies these claims, and human rights and environmental organizations said the arrests were politically motivated and an attempt to harass environmental groups.</p><p>Bolsonaro first connected DiCaprio with the fires in a webcast Thursday discussing the accusations against WWF.</p><p>"So what did the NGO do? What is the easiest thing? Set fire to the forest. Take pictures, make a video. [WWF] makes a campaign against Brazil, it contacts Leonardo DiCaprio, he donates $500,000," Bolsonaro said, according to BBC News. "A part of that went to the people that were setting fires. Leonardo DiCaprio, you are contributing to the fire in the Amazon, that won't do."</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f70250e9826e2a5a9511c512cf69b13f"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/jairmessias.bolsonaro/videos/533820083864876/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>DiCaprio responded with a statement posted on Instagram Saturday.</p><p>"At this time of crisis for the Amazon, I support the people of Brazil working to save their natural and cultural heritage," DiCaprio wrote. "They are an amazing, moving and humbling example of the commitment and passion needed to save the environment."</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fsQ_vFUN3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fsQ_vFUN3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fsQ_vFUN3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-11-30T15:48:58+00:00">Nov 30, 2019 at 7:48am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>DiCaprio has a history of promoting environmental causes. He promised in December 2018 to match every donation made to the group <a href="https://www.amazonfrontlines.org/who/" target="_blank">Amazon Frontlines</a> for all of 2019, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/world/americas/Jair-bolsonaro-amazon-fires-Leonardo-DiCaprio.html?auth=login-google&login=google" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. His <a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a> works to protect vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems.</p><p>However, he said in his statement that he had not supported the groups currently being accused, though he said they were "worthy of support."</p><p>"I remain committed to supporting the Brazilian indigenous communities, local governments, scientists, educators and general public who are working tirelessly to secure the Amazon for the future of all Brazilians," DiCaprio said.</p><p>WWF also said in a statement that it had not received any money from DiCaprio, The New York Times reported.</p><p><a href="https://www.globalwildlife.org/" target="_blank">Global Wildlife Conservation</a> and <a href="https://www.iucn.org/species/about/species-survival-commission" target="_blank">IUCN Species Survival Commission</a>, two of the largest environmental organizations currently working in the Amazon, also spoke out generally against the accusations, CNN reported.</p><p>"As an umbrella organization committed to biodiversity conservation, we are concerned that there are increasing and targeted attacks on people and groups working to protect nature in the Amazon," IUCN said. "Environmental defenders, whether in local communities, NGOs, or government agencies, should be afforded with the highest protection of the law in Brazil."</p><p>As a carbon sink, the Amazon rainforest is considered an essential part of the fight against the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, The New York Times pointed out. However, experts are concerned that if it continues to burn, it <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-could-be-two-years-from-dangerous-tipping-point-2641087910.html" target="_self">could reach a tipping point</a> and transform from rainforest into grassland.</p>
From Your Site Articles
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Leonardo DiCaprio arrives fo the LA Premiere Of HBO's "Ice On Fire" held at LACMA on June 5 in Los Angeles, California. Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images
Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental charity has pledged $5 million towards fighting the wildfires currently burning in the Amazon rainforest, The Guardian reported Monday.
<p>"The lungs of the Earth are in flames. The Brazilian Amazon — home to 1 million Indigenous people and 3 million species — has been burning for more than two weeks straight," DiCaprio wrote in an Instagram post announcing the donation, as The Guardian reported.</p><p>The funds come through <a href="https://ealliance.org/" target="_blank">Earth Alliance</a>, a new charity formed by DiCaprio and philanthropists Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth in July to "help address the urgent threats to our planet's life support systems," <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/25/americas/leonardo-dicaprio-amazon-fire-fund-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2mwjuFK7zjh8hyMZpfmaA4Zpq9EjZ6Qzo2-8UuDiRN2UF9rt8wJIe1z6A" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. The actor's previous Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation merged with the new organization.</p><p>Earth Alliance announced its Amazon Forest Fund on Twitter Sunday.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthAlliance?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EarthAlliance</a> has formed an emergency Amazon Forest Fund with $5m to focus critical resources for indigenous communities and other local partners working to protect the biodiversity of the Amazon against the surge of fires. Learn more & donate: <a href="https://t.co/uG2WoEoKqx">https://t.co/uG2WoEoKqx</a> <a href="https://t.co/IbcubQCO4v">pic.twitter.com/IbcubQCO4v</a></p>— Earth Alliance (@earthalliance) <a href="https://twitter.com/earthalliance/status/1165654201902325760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>"These funds will be distributed directly to local partners and the indigenous communities protecting the Amazon, the incredible diversity of wildlife that lives there, and the health of the planet overall," the organization <a href="https://ealliance.org/amazonfund/" target="_blank">wrote</a>.<br></p><p>Funds will be divided between five local organizations: Instituto Associação Floresta Protegida (Kayapo), Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), Instituto Kabu (Kayapo), Instituto Raoni (Kayapo) and Instituto Socioambiental (ISA).</p><p>The donation comes after a widespread outcry following the news last week that there are a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-wildfires-2639934452.html" target="_self">record number of fires</a> burning in the Amazon, which is an important sink for carbon dioxide. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/brazil" target="_self">Brazil</a>'s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said the number of fires had increased 83 percent compared with this time last year. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bolsonaro-statement-amazon-wildfires-2639952410.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2" target="_self">Scientists and environmental advocates</a> say that the fires were sparked by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>, as farmers clear trees for planting or cattle grazing. Such practices have been encouraged by right-wing Brazilian President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/jair-bolsonaro" target="_self">Jair Bolsonaro</a>, who has promised to open more of the Amazon to mining and agriculture.</p><p>The G7 countries also pledged $22 million to help Brazil fight the fires at a summit this weekend, as French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday, but the Bolsonaro government rejected the funds, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/brazil-reject-g7-offer-22m-aid-fight-amazon-fires-190827060022860.html" target="_blank">Al Jazeera reported</a>.</p><p>"'[P]erhaps those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe," Bolsonaro's Chief of Staff Onyx Lorenzoni told Brazil's Globo news site Monday, according to Al Jazeera. "Macron cannot even avoid a predictable fire in a church that is part of the world's heritage, and he wants to give us lessons for our country?" Lorenzoni said.</p><p>In addition to the G7 pledge, the UK had promised $12 million to fight the fires and Canada had promised $11 million. It is not clear if Brazil also rejected those offers.</p><p>While Bolsonaro's government rejects international funding, it has also directed its own resources away from the environment.</p><p>"The funding for Brazil's environment agency has gone down by 95% this year, it [has] essentially gutted [a] large part of the actions that have been put in by the agricultural ministry," University of Oxford ecosystem science professor Yadvinder Malhi told the BBC's Today program, as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-49479470?ocid=socialflow_twitter" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. "So the real thing is to look at the political direction of governance in the Amazon that's changing under the new Brazilian government."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Exclusive Clip From DiCaprio's Climate Doc Exposes Palm Oil as Huge Driver of Global Carbon Emissions <a href="https://t.co/zllxPgg2ZA">https://t.co/zllxPgg2ZA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NoTarSands?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NoTarSands</a></p>— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/791384266781388804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Pxhere
Climate change has been called the biggest challenge of our time. Last year, scientists with the United Nations said we basically have 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5ºC to avoid planetary catastrophe.
Amid a backdrop of rising global carbon emissions, there's a real case for pessimism. However, many scientists are hopeful of a way out.
<p>
Now, a new climate model shows that we can achieve and even beat the 1.5ºC threshold by transitioning to 100 percent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy">renewable energy</a> by 2050 and implementing natural climate solutions.
</p><p>
The "<a href="https://oneearth.uts.edu.au/" target="_blank">One Earth Climate Model</a>"—presented Monday at the World Economic Forum in Davos—is a compilation of two years of research by scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the German Aerospace Center and the University of Melbourne. The research was funded by the <a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a>.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="f0014" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="68WORU1576662578"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1087386882613248002" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">After 2 years supporting 17 scientists led by @UTSISF, we are proud to announce the release of the One Earth climat… https://t.co/qnkJQ0SkpI</div> — Earth Alliance (@Earth Alliance)<a href="https://twitter.com/earthalliance/statuses/1087386882613248002">1548088210.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
"With the pace of urgent climate warnings now increasing, it's clear that our planet cannot wait for meaningful action," actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio said in a
<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-of-the-art-climate-model-funded-by-the-leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-shows-how-we-can-solve-the-global-climate-crisis-300781304.html" target="_blank">press release</a> for the study. "This ambitious and necessary pathway shows that a transition to 100 percent renewable energy and strong measures to protect and restore our natural ecosystems, taken together, can deliver a more stable climate within a single generation."
</p><p>
<span></span>Using state-of-the-art <a href="http://oneearth.uts.edu.au/" target="_blank">computer modeling</a>, the researchers present a pathway of how each unique region in the world can stay below 1.5ºC using currently available resources and technologies.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEwNDU0MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjA1MDA5NH0.I5t9ExMnpCXwrgttdPEn74ZksutHmP3Cup3dfHDO9eQ/img.png?width=980" id="e2845" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="614007e3808f5a6b5e7282f4c2eb0d40" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">One Earth Climate Model</small>
</p><p>
Karl Burkart, the director of Innovation, Media & Technology at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
<a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/one-earth-climate-model/" target="_blank">delved deeper</a> into the new study:
</p><blockquote style="margin-left: 20px;">
Some have doubted that a transition to 100 percent renewables is even possible. To explore the potential, the scientists at UTS created the most sophisticated computer model of the world's electrical grids to date—with 10 regional and 72 sub-regional energy grids modeled in hourly increments to the year 2050 along with a comprehensive assessment of available renewable resources like wind and solar, minerals required for manufacturing of components, and configurations for meeting projected energy demand and storage most efficiently for all sectors over the next 30 years.
</blockquote><p>
The researchers focused their study on six major energy and conservation measures to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, including advancement in renewables and energy storage; improvements in energy efficiency; major global electrification; re-purposing the existing fossil fuels-based infrastructure; a just transition from fossil fuels jobs to ones in renewable energy; and forest reforestation.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEwNDU3OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDYyNDc0M30.kfs512qMZEqPdRhzKuMjGKejo-9ziUy1lazJm0wJ2qc/img.jpg?width=980" id="f154f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c708aa117f96054068d7e1924d6526d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">University of Technology, Sydney</small>
</p><p>
"The main barrier is neither technical nor economic—it's political," lead author Sven Teske, research director at the UTS's Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, told
<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/not-too-late-australians-develop-carbon-model-with-dicaprio-s-help-20190121-p50sq5.html" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>.
</p><p>
Teske added "it's not too late" to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, the lower target of the
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris climate agreement</a>.
</p><p>
The estimated to cost of the proposal is approximately $1.7 trillion per year, which is quite the sum but "pales in comparison" to the
<a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2016/12/31/How-Large-Are-Global-Energy-Subsidies-42940" target="_blank">$5 trillion a year</a> that governments currently provide to the fossil fuels industry, the press release noted.
</p>
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‘Unfit Leader’: Neil Young Loses Home to Fire, Rips Trump for Insensitive Tweet
12 November 2018
Climate
Neil Young. Takahiro Kyono / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Musician Neil Young, who lost his Malibu home to the devastating Woolsey fire, is urging the world to come together to fight climate change—especially since the president of the U.S. seems "unfit" to take care of the problem, as the icon said.
On Sunday, the legendary rocker posted a letter on his website, the Neil Young Archives, blasting Donald Trump's infamous denial of climate science and his Saturday tweet that blamed California's wildfires on "gross mismanagement of the forests" even though most of the fires are burning on federal land.
<p>
Trump's tweet—which was particularly callous amid the
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfires-climate-change-trump-2619339720.html">deadly and overwhelming destruction</a>—is also incorrect because the conflagrations in Southern California are <a href="https://twitter.com/PFA809/status/1061307981638193152" target="_blank">urban interface fires</a>, meaning they have nothing to do with forest management, as a local fire association pointed out. </p><p>"California is vulnerable-not because of poor forest management as DT (our so-called president) would have us think," Young wrote. "As a matter of fact this is not a forest fire that rages on as I write this. We are vulnerable because of Climate Change; the
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather">extreme weather</a> events and our extended [<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought">droughts</a> are] part of it."<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="90824" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JJVPJF1576662643"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1061168803218948096" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is… https://t.co/k5gzPlaT4E</div> — Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/1061168803218948096">1541837332.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
"Our temperatures are higher than ever here in our hottest summer on record. That has not helped," Young continued. "DT seems to be the Denier. (I'm holding back and not using the word liar just because it rhymes with denier). It really is time for a reckoning with this unfit leader. Maybe our new Congress can help. I sure hope so."</p><p>Young, a Canadian citizen, cannot vote in our elections but is a
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/neil-youngs-new-album-earth-breaks-all-the-rules-1891127242.html" target="_self">prominent environmentalist</a> and is no fan of Trump. He was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/donald-trump-enters-the-presidential-race-1882050843.html" target="_self">not happy</a> when Trump used "Rockin' in the Free World" to launch his presidential bid in 2015.<br></p><p>
"Hopefully we can come together as a people to take Climate Change on. We have the tools and could do it if we tried. There is no downside," Young wrote.
</p><p>
He concluded: "Imagine a leader who defies science, saying these solutions shouldn't be part of his decision-making on our behalf. Imagine a leader who cares more for his own, convenient opinion than he does for the people he leads. Imagine an unfit leader. Now imagine a fit one."
</p><p>
Actress Daryl Hannah, Young's wife, recently posted an Instagram photo of charred grounds and fire hoses and included the hashtag #ClimateChangeIsReal.
</p><div id="acdf5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="MTE2ZE1576662643"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqDE3qDAmp_/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Daryl Hannah on Instagram: “These were our fire hoses If you live anywhere near the fires 🔥 BE SAFE 🙏🏽💕 & please be aware that Wild Animals are fleeing the fires…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>Other Californian celebrities have responded to Trump's tweet, including Katy Perry, John Legend and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a>, who also pointed out the fires are worsened by climate change and drought, and noted that "helping victims and fire relief efforts in our state should not be a partisan issue."<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3fe2d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="HVMDR51576662643"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1061179388895490049" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is an absolutely heartless response. There aren’t even politics involved. Just good American families losing t… https://t.co/wHkmRRiKak</div> — KATY PERRY (@KATY PERRY)<a href="https://twitter.com/katyperry/statuses/1061179388895490049">1541839856.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="62f7d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="USPB5G1576662643"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1061293499138621440" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Our National Embarrassment can't bring himself to show some empathy to Californians dealing with a horrific disaste… https://t.co/1s5uy4vwqX</div> — John Legend (@John Legend)<a href="https://twitter.com/johnlegend/statuses/1061293499138621440">1541867062.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="980a9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2QXBL31576662643"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1061401158856687616" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The reason these wildfires have worsened is because of climate change and a historic drought. Helping victims and f… https://t.co/Psw3mQqhFW</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/1061401158856687616">1541892730.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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Paul Allen pictured in 2014. Courtesy of Vulcan Inc. / Beatrice de Gea
The world lost an important environmental icon on Monday with the passing of Paul G. Allen. He died from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Seattle, according to his company Vulcan Inc. He was 65.
Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates and owned the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, was also a major philanthropist devoted to making the world a better place.
<p>
In 1986, Allen founded the Seattle-based project and investment firm
Vulcan Inc. to help oversee <a href="http://www.vulcan.com/areas-of-practice/philanthropy" target="_blank">many philanthropic initiatives</a>, which include <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>, preserving <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans">ocean</a> health, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transporation">transportation</a> electrification and fighting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate change</a>.
</p><p>
Actor
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a> paid tribute to his fellow environmentalist on Monday.
</p><p>
"Sad to hear of the passing of Paul Allen, who was a strong advocate for environmental protection," DiCaprio tweeted. "He and the team at Vulcan played a pivotal role in developing the
<a href="https://www.sharkconservationfund.org/" target="_blank">Shark Conservation Fund</a> alongside [the
<a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a>]. His legacy lives on via his incredible work as a philanthropist and investor."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="29943" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="A5MK9F1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1051994942552375301" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sad to hear of the passing of Paul Allen, who was a strong advocate for environmental protection. He and the team a… https://t.co/vMVNQTeKgs</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/1051994942552375301">1539650114.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
His
<a href="https://globalfinprint.org/" target="_blank">Global FinPrint</a> initiative was introduced in 2015 to assess the planet's diminishing number of sharks and rays and to aid management and conservation efforts for marine life. </p><p>Captain Paul Watson, the founder of the <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a>, said Allen was a "great force for marine conservation" and noted that Vulcan co-produced their 2018 high-seas documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8764384/" target="_blank">Chasing The Thunder</a>. </p><p>In 1997, Allen launched Vulcan Productions, an independent film production company. <span></span></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="95d2e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AADYC41576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1052031758009479168" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sadly Paul Allen died today at the young age of 65.
Paul was a great force for marine conservation. His company… https://t.co/OVTfwIP6NZ</div> — Captain Paul Watson (@Captain Paul Watson)<a href="https://twitter.com/CaptPaulWatson/statuses/1052031758009479168">1539658891.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Erik Solheim, head of the United Nations Environment Programme, also said Allen will be sorely missed but his legacy will continue.
</p><p>
"We will remember Paul Allen as a champion and supporter of wildlife, conservation and the environment," Solheim
<a href="https://twitter.com/ErikSolheim/status/1052180197301194752" target="_blank">tweeted</a> on Tuesday. "He and Vulcan Inc. were instrumental in hugely impactful work on everything from elephants to sharks."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="42f5d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FJJ0PS1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1052180197301194752" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We will remember Paul Allen as a champion and supporter of wildlife, conservation and the environment.
He and… https://t.co/K5exT2B7xc</div> — Erik Solheim (@Erik Solheim)<a href="https://twitter.com/ErikSolheim/statuses/1052180197301194752">1539694282.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Allen's lifetime of philanthropic giving to science, technology, education, conservation, the arts and community improvement totaled more than $2 billion, according to the
<a href="https://www.alleninstitute.org/about/founder/" target="_blank">Allen Institute</a>.
</p><p>
He was among the list of the world's leading philanthropists who pledged to give away the bulk of their fortunes to charity.
</p><p>
"Those fortunate to achieve great wealth should put it to work for the good of humanity," Allen wrote several years ago after announcing that he was donating most of his fortune to charity, the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/e378126a6417466f869b359561d29f09" target="_blank">Associated Press</a> reported.
</p><p>
The pledge "reminds us all that our net worth is ultimately defined not by dollars but rather by how well we serve others."
</p><p>
Vulcan CEO Bill Hilf said in a
<a href="http://www.vulcan.com/News/Articles/2018/Statement-on-Paul-G-Allen" target="_blank">press release</a> that "millions of people were touched by his generosity, his persistence in pursuit of a better world, and his drive to accomplish as much as he could with the time and resources at his disposal."
</p><p>
Allen, his team and his conservation partners helped launch the Great Elephant Census in 2013 to count Africa's savanna elephants.
</p><p>
"Our goal was to learn how many remain and where, then use the information to help protect these iconic animals from the poachers that are driving them toward extinction," Allen
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-elephant-counts-paul-g-allen" target="_blank">wrote in 2016</a>.
</p><p>
The census showed that elephant populations in 18 countries declined by 30 percent.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8d076" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6WEWKH1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="771329701281431552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Paul Allen's 'Great #Elephant Census' Shows Catastrophic Decline in Africa https://t.co/4F5irXSX86 @CenterForBioDiv @LeoDiCaprio @PaulGAllen</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/771329701281431552">1472734306.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Earlier this month, Allen
<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/status/1046864324310982668" target="_blank">announced</a> that the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma he battled in 2009 had returned and he planned to fight it.
</p><p>
"I've begun treatment and my doctors are optimistic that I will see a good result. Appreciate the support I've received and count on it as I fight this challenge," he tweeted.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="57734" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UGGNML1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1046864324310982668" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Some personal news: Recently, I learned the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma I battled in 2009 has returned. I’ve begun treat… https://t.co/5PTQa9y69C</div> — Paul Allen (@Paul Allen)<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/statuses/1046864324310982668">1538426879.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p>Allen's family released the
<a href="http://www.vulcan.com/News/Articles/2018/Statement-on-Paul-G-Allen" target="_blank">following statement</a>:<br></p><blockquote>
"My brother was a remarkable individual on every level. While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend.
<br>
<br>
Paul's family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern. For all the demands on his schedule, there was always time for family and friends. At this time of loss and grief for us—and so many others—we are profoundly grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every day."
</blockquote>
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'Completely Destroyed' Location for 'The Beach' Movie to Stay Closed to Tourists Indefinitely
03 October 2018
Oceans
Pollution from boats is among the reasons that Thailand's iconic Maya Bay will remain closed to tourists. Michael_Spencer / CC BY 2.0
Thailand's iconic Maya Bay, made popular by the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, will be closed to tourists indefinitely, CNN Travel reported.
The beach had been closed temporarily since June 1 to restore the damage done by more than a million yearly visitors, but on Tuesday Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) announced the closure would continue "until natural resources return to normal."
<p>The announcement came in the form of a letter signed by DNP director-general Thanya Nethithammakul.</p><p>"The ecosystem and the beach's physical structure have [not] yet returned to its full condition," the letter said, in Thai. </p><p>The beach, visited for its golden sands and clear blue water surrounded by the dramatic cliffs of Ko Phi Phi Leh island, shot to prominence following the release of the 2000 DiCaprio film. It drew as many as 5,000 visitors and 200 boats daily and generated 400 million baht (approximately $12.4 million) a year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/03/thailand-bay-made-famous-by-the-beach-closed-indefinitely" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. </p><p>But the beach's popularity was less profitable for its <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coral-reefs" target="_self">coral reefs</a>. It is estimated that pollution from litter, boats and sunscreen destroyed 80 percent of the coral around the bay. </p><p>Because Maya Bay has no hotels and forbids overnight stays, all of that damage is caused by day-trippers, often boating in from nearby Phuket, CNN reported.</p><p>"It's very difficult to remedy and rehabilitate because its beach was completely destroyed as well [as] the plants which cover it," national parks director Songtam Suksawang told The Guardian. </p><p>He further said the original four-month recovery timeline was "impossible," a belief that was shared by environmental groups when that timeline was first announced, since coral only grows by half a centimeter a year. </p><p>"More than 1,000 corals are being installed at Maya Bay. Trees are also being planted on land nearby. Experts realize that it is too fast to open Maya Bay at this stage," Worapoj Lomlim, chief of the park that includes Maya Bay, told <a href="https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/maya-bay-closed-indefinitely" target="_blank">The Thaiger</a>. </p><p>The Maya Bay closure also extends to Lo Sama Bay in the same Hat Nopparat Thara – Moo Koh Phi Phi national park. </p><p>The pollution that accompanies tourism has been a growing problem for beaches in the region. Indonesia declared a "garbage emergency" this year after a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-bali-manta-point-diver-2543541335.html" target="_self">video</a> of a diver encountering plastic off the coast of Bali went viral. Meanwhile, the Philippines closed its famous Boracay Bay for six months in April, and President Rodrigo Duterte called the resort area a "cesspool," The Guardian reported.</p><p>Unlike Maya Bay, Boracay is on schedule to reopen in stages starting this month, CNN reported.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="54ab9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0GWTPF1576663770"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1006219136421146624" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Plastic Shreds, Rubber Bands and Balloon Pieces Found in Thai Turtle https://t.co/66MdIJDbvM @YEARSofLIVING… https://t.co/kAbqzWX722</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1006219136421146624">1528736311.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A tiger in Dhikala, Nepal. Ranjith Kumar 2016 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, Nepal now has an estimated 235 wild tigers in the country, a nearly twofold increase from its baseline of 121 individuals in 2009, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) announced Sunday on the occasion of Nepal's National Conservation Day.
The South Asian nation is now on track to become the first country to double its tiger population as part of WWF's "TX2" goal to double the world's wild tiger population by 2022—the next year of the tiger on the Chinese zodiac.
<p>
The news was celebrated by environmentalists including actor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a>, who is a WWF-US board member. His <a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">foundation</a> has funded tiger conservation in Nepal's Bardia National Park and elsewhere since 2010.
</p><p>
"This significant increase in Nepal's tiger population is proof that when we work together, we can save the planet's wildlife—even species facing extinction," DiCaprio stated in a press release received by EcoWatch. "Nepal has been a leader in efforts to double tigers within its own borders and serves as a model for conservation for all of Asia and the world. I am proud of my foundation's partnership with WWF to support Nepal and local communities in doubling the population of wild tigers."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="a6e0c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7PZKVJ1576683797"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1043945736356925440" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I am proud of @dicapriofdn’s partnership with @World_Wildlife to support Nepal and local communities in doubling th… https://t.co/2Qs8iRqkoV</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/1043945736356925440">1537731033.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Due to years of illegal poaching and habitat loss, <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger" target="_blank">there are roughly</a> 3,890 of the iconic big cats roaming the planet today, a dramatic decline from the 100,000 about a century ago, according to WWF. As top predators, they are crucial to the ecosystems they inhabit.
</p><p>
<span></span>"Every tiger counts, for Nepal and for the world," WWF-Nepal's Ghana S. Gurung stated in a press release received by EcoWatch. "While Nepal is but a few tigers away from our goal to double tiger numbers by 2022, it also underscores the continued need to ensure protection, and improved and contiguous habitats for the long-term survival of the species."
</p><p>
Under the TX2 goal set at the 2010 St. Petersburg summit, all 13 tiger range countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam—pledged to increase the number of wild tigers in the world to more than 6,000 by 2022.
</p><p>
"With four more years to go, the TX2 goal of doubling tiger numbers globally can only be achieved if all the tiger range countries step up and commit to a similar level of [Nepal's] excellence," WWF said.
<span></span>
</p><p>
To estimate its tiger population, Nepal conducted surveys between November 2017 and April 2018 by using camera traps and other techniques. The last survey in 2013 counted 198 tigers.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY1MjQ5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjYxMjQ5N30.k-HMAymde-zilG1dZWL4saf-M4Y_TDYalfT2ui8BWPg/img.jpg?width=980" id="e2815" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c417ff0581e132acc0ef20f98c260120" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Camera traps were used to survey Nepal's wild tiger numbers.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">DNPWC/WWF Nepal </small></p><p>
Nepal's success story can be attributed to its political commitment towards tiger conservation. For one, Nepal was the first country to achieve global standards in managing tiger conservation areas, an accreditation scheme governed by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards, according to WWF.
</p><p>
"Protecting tigers is a top priority of the government, and we are thankful for the able support of our partners, enforcement agencies, local communities and the international community for a common purpose," Bishwa Nath Oli, secretary of Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment, stated in the press release.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="4809c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="TRPKTS1576683797"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="958895199702474758" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New Sightings of 'Putin's Tigers' Are Good News for Conservation in Russia https://t.co/kRv066FbyG @environmentca @ConservationOrg</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/958895199702474758">1517453405.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Paula Olson / NOAA
Last year, an international vaquita recovery committee rang alarm bells after reporting that there were just 30 left on the planet, with more recent estimates pegging the tiny porpoise's population at only 12.
Now, the plight of the world's most endangered marine mammal—and the intense conservation efforts to save it—is the subject of a new documentary from Red Bull's Terra Mater Factual Studios, Variety reported Tuesday.
<p>
The new film, slated for completion this year, has the working title <em>Vaquita—Sea of Ghosts</em><em>.</em> The name likely refers to the vaquita being driven to the brink of extinction due to unauthorized gillnet or "ghost net" fishing in the Gulf of California, the critically <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_blank">endangered species</a>' only known habitat. Gillnets, which are used to catch totoaba bass sought by Chinese markets, can entangle and kill marine animals, including the vaquita that get trapped in them.
</p><p>
Terra Mater previously collaborated with actor and environmentalist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio</a>'s production company Appian Way on 2016's <em>The Ivory Game</em> that was among the 15 finalists for the best feature documentary Oscar.
</p><p>
The
<a href="https://seashepherd.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a>—which has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-rescue-totoaba-2554869373.html">vigorously campaigned</a> to save the imperiled porpoise—is also working on the documentary, as Captain Paul Watson announced in a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/captpaulwatson/posts/10156021770485932" target="_blank">post</a>.
</p><p>
According to Variety, the film starts with a meeting between DiCaprio and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dicaprio-vaquita-oceans-day-2436761026.html">Last June</a>, they signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at conserving marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California and saving the vaquita porpoise.
</p><p>
<em>Vaquita—Sea of Ghosts</em> also shows sometimes-heated conflict between Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime gangs versus the Mexican government, the U.S. Navy, the FBI, Sea Shepherd and other wildlife activist groups, Variety reported.
</p><p>
The film is directed by award-winning Richard Ladkani, who was also behind
<em>The Ivory Game</em>. It will premiere internationally in 2018.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3a29f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="D506RH1576683820"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="923550561831710723" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">First #Vaquita Rescued in Bid to Save the Porpoise From Extinction https://t.co/8gAYe00Pjm @Oceana @VaquitaCPR @WWF @NWF @seashepherd</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/923550561831710723">1509026587.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Watch to find out the story behind the newly discovered G. leonardodicaprioi, found in the Maliau Basin of Malaysian Borneo.
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- DiCaprio Backs Solar Firm Offering Low-Cost Clean Energy to Rural ... ›
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DiCaprio Backs Solar Firm Offering Low-Cost Clean Energy to Rural Communities
26 April 2018
Renewable Energy
Guatemalan startup aims to provide power to 1.2 billion people around the world do not have access to the grid. Kingo / Twitter
Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined Kingo—a Guatemala-based business that provides low-cost solar energy kits for off-grid communities—as an investor and member of its board of advisors.
"Solar power is key to a future without fossil fuels, and Kingo's technology will help enable broad use of clean energy across the developing world," DiCaprio said in a statement. "I am proud to invest in Kingo as they seek to eradicate energy poverty, and I look forward to serving as an advisor to the company."
<p>
Kingo offers a range of pay-as-you-go kits consisting of light bulbs, photovoltaic panels and a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/batteries">battery</a> that can store electricity generated during the day. </p><p>Its prices are
<a href="https://www.proparco.fr/en/guatemala-low-cost-solar-lighting-rural-communities" target="_blank">competitive</a> compared with the cost of buying candles every day, and also eliminate the need for polluting alternatives such as kerosene and diesel. Users do not have to pay installation fees or maintenance costs.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="12c86f8487371f5a472358b2e32bfca2"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/kingoenergy/photos/a.866789283515973.1073741829.854068238121411/866789266849308/?type=3&theater"></div></div><p>
<span></span>Since its founding in 2013, Kingo has serviced more than 60,000 households around the world and has installed around 7,000 new systems each month, the company touts. Its mission is to help provide clean, affordable energy for the 1.2 billion people worldwide who do not have access to the power grid.
</p><p>
"Seventeen percent of the world's population still lacks access to power. Access to electricity represents one of the biggest restrictions for progress, as it is the base for all productive activity," Kingo founder and CEO Juan Fermín Rodriguez, who grew up in Guatemala, said in an
<a href="https://lavca.org/2017/11/01/kingo-raises-series-b-bring-pre-paid-solar-central-america/" target="_blank">interview</a> last year.
</p><p>
"We aim not only to eradicate the lack of access to electricity, but also to play a spearheading role in the transition from the world's energy consumption in becoming 100 percent
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a>."
</p><p>
To date, Kingo has raised $25 million in several equity and debt rounds led by prominent investors and institutions, including the largest utility in Europe (ENGIE Rassembleurs d'Energies), one of the largest utilities in Latin America (FCP), PeopleFund, the Dutch Development Bank, the French Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. DiCaprio's investment amount was not disclosed.
</p><p>
"We are honored to have
<span style="background-color: initial;">Leonardo DiCaprio</span>, someone who is seriously committed to addressing climate and environment-related causes, invest in Kingo and join our board of advisors," said Rodriguez in a statement. <br>
</p><p>
"Leo will help advise Kingo as we work to achieve growth through expanded R&D capabilities and new market entry strategies. We remain committed to developing innovative solutions to the 1.2 billion people who currently live in the dark."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8d69a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="VSZ0K11576663984"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="966742760085696513" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Seychelles Creates Groundbreaking Marine Reserve With Help From Leonardo DiCaprio https://t.co/EdXlLrzu1X… https://t.co/mUAkj11OSl</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/966742760085696513">1519324409.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Seychelles Creates Groundbreaking Marine Reserve With Help From Leonardo DiCaprio
22 February 2018
Popular
The Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. Simisa / Wikimedia Commons
The Seychelles has created two vast new marine protected areas in the Indian Ocean after a groundbreaking finance deal brokered by the Nature Conservancy and other stakeholders, including environmentalist and Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
In exchange for writing off a portion of its debt, the island nation agreed to protect a total of 81,000-square-miles of ocean—that's about the size of Great Britain.
<p style="">
Seychelles was able to pay off an outstanding sovereign debt with $21 million raised by the Nature Conservancy. Future debt payments will go into a new trust, the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, to finance new marine protection and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate</a> adaptation projects
</p><p style="">
The scheme is understood to be the world's first "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/22/seychelles-has-struck-debt-for-nature-swap-leonardo-dicaprio/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw" target="_blank">debt-for-nature</a>" finance plan designed to protect ocean environments. The agreement will also help the low-lying archipelago prepare for the effects of climate change, including warming and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise">rising</a> waters and ocean <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean-acidification">acidification</a>, and to protect its vital tourism and $300-million-a-year fishing industry.
</p><p style="">
"This effort will help the people of Seychelles protect their ocean for future generations, and will serve as a model for future marine conservation projects worldwide," DiCaprio, whose foundation donated $1 million towards the debt, said. "These protections mean that all species living in these waters or migrating through them are now far better shielded from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing">overfishing</a>, pollution, and climate change."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" style="">
</p><div id="6792b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56ZKQ61576683847"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="966336245482827777" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today, Seychelles announced two new marine protected areas that equal the size of Great Britain. Join me and… https://t.co/aszoTCLj7h</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/966336245482827777">1519227489.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p style="">
Seychelles Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Didier Dogley announced the two new marine protected areas at an event on Wednesday in Victoria, the country's capital.
</p><p style="">
The first covers the waters around the remote Aldabra Atoll, home to seabirds, hawksbill turtles, giant tortoises and the endangered dugong. The area also includes the world's second-largest raised coral atoll. This area will be fully protected and bans all extractive uses, from fishing to oil exploitation. Only research and regulated tourism is allowed. The second area is centered around the Seychelles' main islands and will only allow limited fishing and tourism. </p><p style="">According to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/22/debt-for-dolphins-seychelles-create-huge-new-marine-parks-in-world-first-finance-scheme" target="_blank">Guardian</a>, the two parks cover 15 percent of the Seychelles ocean and the government plans to double this by 2021.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="0e1d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="VJ1R581576683847"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="966406185585971202" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New marine protections in Seychelles will further safeguard dugongs, sea turtles, and other endangered species! Hel… https://t.co/9LoArt1zxY</div> — The Nature Conservancy (@The Nature Conservancy)<a href="https://twitter.com/nature_org/statuses/966406185585971202">1519244164.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p style="">"Our large ocean brings development opportunities but also responsibility," said Seychelles President Danny Faure. "Our ocean is central to our development and for the future of generations to come."<br></p><p style="">
Faure called the deal a "paradigm shift on how we manage and use our coastal and ocean resources, how we work together as a government and as communities."
</p><p style="">
Nature Conservancy president Mark Tercek said the Seychelles can be a model for the rest of the world.
</p><p style="">
"What you see today in Seychelles is what we expect to introduce in the Caribbean and other ocean regions facing the threats of climate change," he said.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8dfb5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="53LMT31576683848"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="934192451140706304" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">To Succeed, Large Ocean Sanctuaries Need to Benefit Both Sea Life and People https://t.co/dptfvEnwg5 @savingoceans @OceanLeadership</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/934192451140706304">1511563811.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Arnold Schwarzenegger / Wikimedia Commons
Arnold Schwarzenegger slammed President Trump's plans to dramatically expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling.
"Don't touch California. If you want to drill, do it off Mar-a-Lago," the former California governor and vocal Trump critic tweeted Monday, referring to the president's resort in Palm Beach, Florida. "Or better yet, look to the future, follow California's lead and go green and we can all breathe easier. The U.S.'s largest economy is nearly 50 percent renewable. #ProtectThePacific."
<p>
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-drilling-trump-nrdc-2522705363.html" target="_blank">Earlier this month</a>, the Trump administration proposed to increase new offshore oil and gas drilling off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The proposal <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-oil-drilling-2525993301.html" target="_blank">drew criticism</a> from liberals and conservatives alike, who warn that such operations at sea could expose coastal areas to the risks of blowouts, explosions, catastrophic spills and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seismic-airgun-blasting" target="_blank">seismic blasting</a>.
</p><p>
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has emerged as a prominent environmentalist and renewable energy proponent. He has also thrown his weight behind an extension of California's cap-and-trade program signed by his successor, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.
</p><p>
<span></span>"Our fishing, tourism, and recreation industries employ hundreds of thousands of great people," Schwarzenegger continued. "Our coasts are an economic gold mine. Do not put them at risk."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="c447c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="C4GU991576662825"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="955586844615360513" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Our fishing, tourism, and recreation industries employ hundreds of thousands of great people. Our coasts are an eco… https://t.co/0jLJ0qFSSh</div> — Arnold (@Arnold)<a href="https://twitter.com/Schwarzenegger/statuses/955586844615360513">1516664632.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Actor and well-known environmentalist
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/Leonardo-DiCaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a> similarly spoke out against offshore drilling via Twitter and included the same <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtectThePacific?src=hash" target="_blank">#ProtectThePacific</a> hashtag seen in Schwarzenegger's tweet.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="14f05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JF7QDW1576662825"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="955637410829914113" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Pacific Coast is too valuable to risk a devastating oil spill. With a $56 billion ocean economy, and hundreds o… https://t.co/174WkecDt2</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/955637410829914113">1516676688.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-offshore-drilling-2524181063.html">Controversially</a>, a week after the Trump administration's announcement was made, Interior Sec. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ryan-zinke">Ryan Zinke</a> said Florida is "obviously unique" and "off the table" from the list of states that could see increased offshore oil drilling after a plea from the state's Republican governor, Rick Scott. </p><p>The move immediately prompted politicians and environmentalists from coastal states around the country to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-oil-drilling-2525993301.html">call</a> for their states to also be exempt. According to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/23/climate/trump-offshore-oil-drilling.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, "at least 15 governors of coastal states, one-third of them Republican, have publicly opposed Mr. Trump's offshore drilling plan."
</p><p>
Schwarzenegger's tweet is akin to filmmaker and fellow Trump critic's
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/michael-moore">Michael Moore</a> threat to frack off the coast of the president's Florida vacation home after the drilling plan was announced.
</p><p>
"We'll be drilling right off the coast of Mar-a-Lago. God Bless You Donald Trump for making this possible! The oil we drill just off your beach will pay 4 our entire show! And any spills – we're going to let the ppl of Florida keep whatever they collect 4 free!"
</p><p>
Moore also
<a href="https://twitter.com/MMFlint/status/950928264612274176" target="_blank">responded</a> to Florida's removal from the drilling proposal.
</p><p>
"WAIT! WHAT? Trump's removing Florida from the list of states to do offshore drilling after I've already rented my fracking equipment to drill off Mar-a-Lago? Three days after I announce, he does this? Bastard!"
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="86a9c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="M0D4O21576662825"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="949755670190059520" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here’s our fracker! We’ll be drilling right off the coast of Mar-a-Lago. God Bless You Donald Trump for making this… https://t.co/R5Vfrku13l</div> — Michael Moore (@Michael Moore)<a href="https://twitter.com/MMFlint/statuses/949755670190059520">1515274372.0</a></blockquote></div>
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This was a year of tug-of-war for the environment. With Donald Trump becoming president of the U.S. at a time when wildfires, hurricanes, and floods were devastating the country, it was challenging for scientists, activists and concerned citizens to get their voices heard. But several stood out as global leaders on climate and helped give rise to those who were silenced. Below are 14 of the most notable influencers of 2017 and how they fought for a cleaner, safer environment for all.
<p>
1. Emmanuel Macron
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDIxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTA4NDAwOX0.ZUpgdaaSQJIDNGMTP2kqEiS98uLQCil6aGXqM5dXJiU/img.jpg?width=980" id="ed414" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="68291954c5d4c5102a1ac3f8082ca22f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>
After his inauguration as president of France, just a few months after U.S. President Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/emmanuel-macron" target="_self">Emmanuel Macron</a> made immediate waves. He started off by addressing Trump's withdrawal from the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> with a "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/macron-climate-scientists-france-2440280116.html" target="_self">Make Earth Great Again</a>" slogan and welcoming American climate scientists to France to continue their research. He forged on, offering <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/france-climate-awards-2516598161.html" target="_self">multi-year grants</a> totaling $70 million. Macron also hosted the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coal-companies-one-planet-summit-2517129095.html" target="_self">One Planet Summit</a> where 20 international companies announced they would phase out <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a>. With his continued criticism of Trump's decisions regarding the planet, Macron has proven himself a global leader on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a> and has set the stage for progress in 2018.</p><p>2. Elon Musk</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDQ2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjI1MjkyMH0.n2u25YHbM5PFoHZNO7YRvqvRPeWMDF5Yb3U5mqV2v9g/img.jpg?width=980" id="6de02" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="da4b4658cb0745b94c0c0bf476a92f8d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk" target="_self">Elon Musk</a>, entrepreneur and founder of several companies including SpaceX, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tesla" target="_self">Tesla</a> and SolarCity, began 2017 with a seat on President Trump's economic advisory council. Musk made multiple attempts to reverse Trump's stance on climate change, but after Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, Musk left the council on June 1, causing a huge media storm. Then in October, when <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricane-maria">Hurricane Maria</a> devastated Puerto Rico and left the islands without power, Musk swooped in and began building a <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> grid. He started with restoring a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-puerto-rico-solar-2501230169.html" target="_self">children's hospital</a> in San Juan and has continued delivering and installing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-puerto-rico-solar-battery-2515317653.html" target="_self">Tesla battery systems</a> since. Musk has also made huge strides in green technology with his push for electric vehicles and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> in the U.S., despite the Trump administration's favoritism towards the fossil fuel industry.<br></p><p>3. Angela Merkel</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDI5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjY1MDI0NH0.PE9gIUFpZCA2HxLlWdXP1k866n-_j1Ut1eXHq0l7EHY/img.jpg?width=980" id="1802a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1b30cc264e13f836290059200cfe3dfb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stepped up to the plate as one of 2017's female leaders on climate in a multitude of ways. Nicknamed the "Climate Chancellor," Merkel has outwardly expressed her differences with Trump, calling his stance on climate change "regrettable." She<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-putin-2454918187.html" target="_self"> reassured the UN</a> that Germany would uphold its targets for the Paris agreement, despite the U.S. change of heart. She has also made significant progress in ensuring sustainable growth in Germany with the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth. Then, in November at the<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/cop23" target="_self"> COP23</a> in Bonn, Germany, Merkel sent a strong message to all global leaders, saying "we will not be able to adhere to the 2°C or 1.5°C target with the current national commitments. That is why each and every contribution is incredibly important."</p><p>4. Bernie Sanders</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDI1MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzkzMDIzM30.B2vXZyPL2FsKW89ez-TkePXESFb_Hjb54kXy8_pQ27g/img.png?width=980" id="ecfd1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2e3e21ed81f4fb1a699ea84838ed808a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>
Senator <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bernie-sanders" target="_self">Bernie Sanders</a> didn't let his loss in the 2016 presidential race stop him from speaking out on climate. In 2017, Sanders relentlessly criticized Trump's rejection of the Paris agreement and his outright denial of climate <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a>. He is one of the few politicians who has spoke out about the<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sanders-energy-bill-2464667836.html" target="_self"> Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017</a>, which aims to expand the fossil fuel industry. He also introduced a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/transformation-blueprint-puerto-rico-2513303662.html" target="_self">$146 billion recovery package</a> for Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria hit and Trump neglected to provide relief. The package would rebuild Puerto Rico's infrastructure with sustainable resources. He also helped to introduce the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-energy-bill-merkley-sanders-markey-2381516585.html" target="_self">100 by 50 Act</a>, which would support workers in the fossil fuel industry while simultaneously phasing out fossil fuels by 2050. </p><p>5. Pope Francis</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDI1NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDQ3MDgwMH0.6aXIpGTje_WM9IILSJNVQU0oaCh6JlXx4AatYpTtVRM/img.jpg?width=980" id="33fc4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0c91f6f4182382ca11da966add91d30e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>
Pope Francis has openly condemned <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier" target="_self">climate change deniers</a> for years, but 2017 might have been the most radical year yet for the sovereign. In February, the Pope spoke up for<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-frances-dapl-2265564461.html" target="_self"> indigenous peoples</a> and their right to consent when it comes to government activities on their sacred lands. The strong words came shortly after President Trump signed two executive orders calling for the approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines in January, though the Vatican said the timing was coincidental. On <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-francis-climate-change-hunger-2497286479.html" target="_self">World Food Day</a> in October, the Pope urged governments to mitigate climate change, as it is a lead driver of the increase in world hunger. And in November at COP23, he outlined four "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-francis-cop23-2510283678.html" target="_self">perverse attitudes</a>" that are preventing climate action. To top it off, he also acquired an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-francis-nissan-leaf-2294820792.html" target="_self">electric car</a>.</p><p>6. Michelle Rodriguez</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDI1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTQyNzQ3MX0.0_BuMsiiUgIv1eGxC5ACSPvHKOM-vt-SPuW8BuSeWKA/img.jpg?width=980" id="b040c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0824cb85cc66bfa0409924c8e930ab05" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Actress and climate activist Michelle Rodriguez is one of the newer voices of the climate movement. In March, Rodriguez joined an all-woman survey team known as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/michelle-rodriguez-baby-seals-2336771103.html" target="_self">Operation Ice Watch</a> on an expedition to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada where the seal population is under siege by hunting and ice loss caused by climate change. Led by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/community/seashepherdconservationsociety/">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a> and <a href="https://www.animaljustice.ca/" target="_blank">Animal Justice</a>, the crew surveyed the ice, or lack thereof, while filming a documentary to raise awareness about the "ecological catastrophe." Rodriguez also partnered with <a href="https://my.seashepherd.org/OperationTSP" target="_blank">Operation Taino Spirit Promise</a> and <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd</a> to provide relief to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck and start a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/puerto-rico-sustainability-2515065901.html" target="_self">campaign</a> for a sustainable rebuild.</p><p><span></span>7. Michael Bloomberg<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDI5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDI3NTgzNX0.LU8u8DBtXeVCJoMgXZm998Ny5gCZkjxbj3ujTB5sVLU/img.jpg?width=980" id="9e2e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e9817bbcef0a909ddd85207f1e23dca5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also a notable influencer of 2017, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cop-23-same-canoe-2509377631.html" target="_self">representing the U.S. at COP23</a> where he, alongside Governors Jerry Brown of California and Jay Inslee of Washington introduced the <a href="https://www.wearestillin.com/about" target="_blank">We Are Still In</a> coalition, a network of U.S. politicians who support climate action despite Trump's withdrawal from the Paris agreement. In October, Bloomberg also announced that his charity would donate $64 million to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bloomberg-coal-sierra-club-2495882707.html" target="_self">retirement of U.S. coal plants</a>, greatly impeding Trump's efforts to revive the American <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal" target="_self">coal industry</a>.</p><p><span></span>8. Patricia Espinosa<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDMwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTA3NTk4OX0.bkqVMS5Yr4gSUrPww9GAQNONoSBakNB1oMOuyxeLOmA/img.jpg?width=980" id="b414f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3c19872c44cab799126158e2706068f4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Mexican politician and current executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa made significant progress on shifting the dialogue surrounding climate action in 2017. In<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/shell-climate-video-2290679999.html" target="_self"> February</a>, she said getting fossil fuel companies "on board" is a critical factor in combating climate change. She also used her position to direct the climate conversation away from technology and toward security, arguing that security officials "understand that our current crisis pales in comparison to what is coming if climate change is left unchecked." She also spoke about women's involvement at COP23 and introduced the Gender Action Plan to promote meaningful participation by women in the climate movement.<br></p><p>9. Al Gore<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDMwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODQ3NzI5MH0.-_PWKiRPPIaFKJbMvBGdgclg2RQeIREPInQ-i1FkdAY/img.jpg?width=980" id="19e77" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="279647b1b892d7b8b584a94c3436e243" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Former vice president and environment activist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/community/al_gore/" target="_self">Al Gore</a> is known for his stance on climate change. But in 2017, with the release of his newest documentary "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," Gore found another big spotlight. In July, he boldly <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/al-gore-paris-agreement-2456658881.html" target="_self">predicted</a> that the U.S. would still meet the targets of the Paris agreement, despite Trump's about-face in June. On Dec. 4-5, Gore also hosted the Climate Reality Project's "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/24-hours-reality-matters-2515687039.html" target="_self">24 Hours of Reality</a>," where he highlighted citizens taking action all across the globe to inspire others to do the same. The program reached more than half a billion viewers on TV and 32 million online, making it the world's largest social broadcast on climate to date.<br></p><p>10. Jerry Brown</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDM2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzYwOTk0M30.87-_ssW-F7pvXp3mJ5S6xwicmnK4l0AVkM3vEoG3s4Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="d72d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6eaee9c3dc801c069873f10188e59ce0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>At almost every turn for the past 365 days, California Governor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/jerry-brown" target="_self">Jerry Brown</a> has undermined President Trump. In June, almost immediately after Trump's withdrawal from the Paris agreement, Brown partnered with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brown-china-climate-deal-2435721752.html" target="_self">Chinese President Xi Jinping</a> to continue expanding green technology and trade. In July, Brown extended California's climate legislation to reduce <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/greenhouse-gases" target="_self">greenhouse gas emissions</a>, to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. And as wildfires have raged through the state and region, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-brown-trump-climate-2500805926.html" target="_self">Brown said</a> he was "linking with other similar-minded people all over the world" and "pushing forward even as Trump blusters."<br></p><p>11. Noam Chomsky</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDM2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDIwMTc4NH0.LMilPhdJDomKAiRwjnRFyIIK_zz9YIAonE_yz89-XzQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="bced1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3a11feaac20617ac2fab9fb0198a8601" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Well known linguist and scientist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/noam-chomsky-trump-2454319460.html" target="_self">Noam Chomsky</a> spoke out numerous times in 2017 for the sake of the environment. In an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/chomsky-trump-undermine-survival-2333432702.html" target="_self">interview with Truthout</a> in March, Chomsky called out the Trump administration for cutting federal spending to the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">U.S Environmental Protection Agency</a> and the Department of Energy, stating that his actions are an "attack against future generations." In May he spoke out again, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/noam-chomsky-gop-trump-climate-2404621379.html" target="_self">telling BBC Newsnight</a> that the Republican Party's denial of climate change has made them the most dangerous organization "in human history." Chomsky's criticisms opened up an intellectual dialogue for conservative voters and encouraged the scientific community to weigh in.<br></p><p>12. Leonardo DiCaprio</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDM2Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDU4Njk1Mn0.ADWC2PMXfzDplWntUXi3UeVnhKakVSiqs2xzmNYmrvM/img.jpg?width=980" id="5abfb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="09368c6b5c1100b70aff5033ef346aef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>Actor and philanthropist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio" target="_self">Leonardo DiCaprio</a> made impressive strides on climate action in 2017, including investing in the entirely plant-based food company <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dicaprio-beyond-meat-2498081823.html" target="_self">Beyond Meat</a> and a farm-raised seafood company <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-lovethewild-2307586570.html" target="_self">LoveTheWild</a>. In June, DiCaprio also partnered with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to conserve the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dicaprio-vaquita-oceans-day-2436761026.html" target="_self">Gulf of California</a> for the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vaquita">vaquita</a> porpoise, classified as the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Most recently, at the Yale Climate Change Conference in September, DiCaprio announced that his foundation will be awarding <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-awards-2487597805.html" target="_self">$20 million in grants</a> to more than 100 environmental organizations.<br></p><p>13. Stephen Hawking</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDM2My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzAyOTQxNX0.aosjX4rOT_uI7Q-xIus9bFDSQmYKf-G9sSHqDU-nT5U/img.jpg?width=980" id="3c8b8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="605025c746efa309e1b769c6798498b0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>World-renowned theoretical physicist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/stephen-hawking" target="_self">Stephen Hawking</a> represented the majority of the scientific community in 2017 on several occasions, urging Trump to stop denying evidence of climate change. In June, Hawking had a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-trump-2452539680.html" target="_self">few choice words </a>about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement, warning that "we are close to the tipping point where <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">global warming</a> becomes irreversible." And in November, Hawking once again pushed Trump to stop <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/hawking-trump-science-2513514825.html" target="_self">denying climate change</a> and take action. Hawking nearly gave up on Earth altogether, telling WIRED UK that "our Earth is becoming too small for us, global population is increasing at an alarming rate and we are in danger of self-destructing."<br></p><p>14. David Attenborough</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjk2NDM2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzM1MDQ3MX0.0DolTBfyoHa8qhomzmTMRWVUfesEksDnYN3v3M6zSKU/img.jpg?width=980" id="54dd2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c0c54783d6958260742f4220e705134" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p>English documentary filmmaker and naturalist David Attenborough, whose series <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii-2490636664.html">Blue Planet II</a> began in October, spoke out several times on plastic pollution in 2017. In September, Attenborough told <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/community/greenpeace/" target="_self">Greenpeace</a> of the "heartbreaking" footage he recorded of mother birds feeding their babies plastic, an iconic moment for him that pushed him to speak up about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic pollution</a> in oceans., and tell Trump to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/david-attenborough-plastics-2514828090.html">reconsider his withdrawal</a> from the Paris agreement. He emphasized that "never before have we been so aware of what we are doing to our planet—and never before have we had such power to do something about it."<br></p>
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