Climate Change: Does Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Need Donald Trump?
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a huge name in the fight against climate change. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is known for his skepticism about the idea of global warming. Does Leonardo DiCaprio need the President-elect by his side to continue the fight?
On Wednesday, DiCaprio had a meeting with Trump on the issue of climate change. Though the GOP leader completely rubbished climate change during his presidential campaign, he softened his tone a bit since his victory. Trump has apparently started recognizing a connection between human action and global warming.
For Leonardo, Trump’s change of tone is enough for motivation. As a well-known climate change advocate, he got US President Barack Obama standing by him in the fight. Obama even agreed to feature in Leo’s documentary on climate change, Before the Flood. Obama is the first US president to be actively involved in the fight against climate change.
Great progress at COP 22: 48 countries commit to 100% renewable energy. #Go100RE #1o5c #COP22 https://t.co/NufnMkD7za pic.twitter.com/ZaKCDEU6YV
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) November 19, 2016
Donald Trump, on the contrary, is a polar opposite of Obama on this issue, among many others. He appointed Scott Pruitt as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Many believe it is Trump’s way of slowing down Obama’s efforts against climate change. Pruitt is known for his opposition to various climate policies by Barack Obama. DiCaprio must be aware of this. So, he played his cards carefully.
Leonardo has tried to convince Trump in the language he understands best, the language of business. He talked about the huge possibilities of green jobs. According to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation CEO Terry Tamminen, DiCaprio presented a framework to Trump and his advisers. He gave a detailed plan to Trump about how to initiate an economic revival across the country with investments in sustainable infrastructure, CNN reported.
“Our conversation focused on how to create millions of secure, American jobs in the construction and operation of commercial and residential clean, renewable energy generation.”
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has a long-term goal to make the Earth green again. Now, that sounds a lot like Donald Trump’s campaign catch line: “Make America Great Again.” But, the difference between Trump and DiCaprio is that Leo does not need a US presidency to continue his efforts to do so. Trump has four years. Leo has his entire life.
Presidents will come and go. All DiCaprio can hope for is that he gets enough support from the US administration. That will surely make things easier for him. Since he depends a lot on collaborative partnerships for innovative projects, there is no better partner than the US president.
However, even if he comes across a US president who is not that supportive of his efforts, it should not bother him much. His efforts will continue as he will keep partnering with like-minded people. As much as we know Leonardo, he will fight for his cause, no matter how powerful the opposition is.
There is a ray of hope for Leo in the Trump Tower, anyway. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation must be aware that the Trump Tower has one powerful person who believes in climate change. That person apparently has a strong influence on Donald Trump. She is none other than Ivanka Trump, the President-elect’s daughter.
Leonardo did not miss the opportunity to meet Ivanka and present a DVD of the documentary film he produced. Now that everyone loves DiCaprio on screen, it is unlikely for Ivanka to be unaware of his charm. If she watched Leo give his acceptance speech at the 2016 Academy Awards, she would know how much he meant it.
With the election only a few days away, we've made it FREE to watch #BeforeTheFlood for an additional two days. Watch. Get informed. Vote. https://t.co/zYpRyXl0Gk
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) November 6, 2016
That night, Leonardo asked people to vote for someone who would support climate change. His meeting with Donald Trump proves that the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation does not mind knocking the door at someone who does not believe in his cause. Leonardo DiCaprio does not need Donald Trump. If Trump is convinced, it’s great. Otherwise, Leo will move on to the next door.
[Featured Image by Pierre Suu/Getty Images For LDC Foundation]
