Actually, diet is the most important factor in being an environmentalist. Nothing impacts the world as negatively as the consumption of animal products.

Environmentalists who are not vegan, are hypocrites.

Ref:
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp

Dr. Barry is treading on fractious grounds here, failing to account for elements of a complex equation which must ultimately accept certain truths. The first truth is this protest action will do very little to accomplish what DiCapprio's intent will most certainly effect: change in the public's mindset on issues of dire magnitude.
Of course we have a monstrous debacle with air travel! We also face another looming debacle: What happens when the high altitude particulates deposited by jets are no longer reflecting much of the sun's energy? There is justifiable cause for concern that as those particulates diminish, global warming will be vastly accellerated, as evidenced during the grounding of all flights post 9/11.
Please, be not simplistically fractious at a critical point in the necessity for radical course correction in public attitudes.

Shall we constrain the fire department to horse drawn carriages in the pursuit of zero emmissions?

I despise Hollywood and it's ilk, but also recognize when critical change in public attitudes is promoted, regardless of the source, the equation balances to the good.

Of course you are right in substance and ideally we should all stop flying or doing or purchasing anything that has a carbon cost. But, vermin that we are, we won't. Possibly what a lot of us will do is work within a carbon "budget", if we were given one. So, say, we can cover X air miles per Y years if our total emissions amount to Z. That is, give each of us an idea as to how much we can afford to put out. A blanket don't fly at all is like telling people just to stop eating until they're thin.

You know i hear the argument, but i think it is kinda lame. why go after someone who is actually doing quite a lot to make a difference. Without Blood Diamonds and 11th Hour hundreds of thousands of people would go on not getting the importance of the issues.

When do we give people a break and thank them for the great work they are doing. So he flew in a plane, what was the offset of getting messages like climate chaos into the mainstream of America.

What about greenpeace, wwf, nrdc and all the other jet setting organizations fighting climate change while flying around the planet to have countless meetings that do what? Do they achieve more than this mainstream celebrity who at least reaches thousands of people who may other wise never know the real story.

So as you sit there throwing stones, watch out for the glass walls.

From a treehugging, environmentalist working in the movement and really sick of the judgement and wasted energy in attacking someone trying to make a difference. Why not send out an action alert talking about the private planes the presidential candidates are flying around in? Seems they are doing less for the planet that Leo.

You are losing sight of the main goal/vision ... to enlighten all the millions and billions of people, who have NO CLUE, NO CLUE WHATSOEVER, about the state of the planet, etc. LOOK AT THE BRIGHT, POSITIVE SIDE... he at least has the guts to use his celebrity to try to enlighten and WAKE PEOPLE UP. USE him... dont CASTIGATE his good effort!!!!!!!!! Or you are stupider than anybody that flies on "jets"

My good sir first i must first thank u from the bottom of my heart for the crusade u lead and u lead well. My feeling is this if at some point u reach his degree of notoriety i would want the same for u the private jet, why?? because even though i have never met u i love u & i would want your message to carry forth without impedance because i'm of the feeling that we r at the 11 hour, so thats my feeling so said a boy named shu without clue!

DEAR,LEO AT ECOFLEX BLACKGOLD we turn Wastes to Vierge Products and Control all Emmission so use your Private Jet and Get your credits now Support Environnement end lets no your fans club now,you are responsable and care about are world yes What you gething in return beter living for are Future Generation No Monney cant replace it only you can helps to be happens thanks Best regard!GilbertPCT"INTERnational patents waithing for your comments yes it is onyour hand the diference litle no! it is a big start a ready thank you doc.Glend Barry I support you alls(514)688-9645 BY LEO!!!

I agree that each one should take action to the best of his ability. However, we can't expect people who are making millions a year to live in a hut and travel by bus or regular plane. I have no problem with celebrities traveling along in jets as long as they contribute in another way, be it awareness programs, be it planting forrest of trees and other things. This should rather be directed at the R&D facilities of the jet builders.

RESPONSE: No one is asking Leanardo to live in hut. We are asking him to stop traveling by private jet in light of the grave ecological situation. Private jets emit as much pollution in one hour as an SUV does in a year.

Listen. I just HAD to chime in. Sometimes, you don't see the forest for the trees, Mr. Barry. Leonardo DiCaprio has used his "celebrity" status to
bring much, much attention to the crisis of global warming/(ruination of the
earth, frankly) than pretty much any other "celebrity" (as far as actors).
Instead of castigating him for not living in a cave, you should APPRECIATE
and RESPECT AND BE GRATEFUL for his efforts. How you can you expect him to
give up "everything" in today's "regular lifestyle" of millions, if not
billions of people?
My MAJOR ISSUE WITH YOU IS, you HAVE NO COMMON SENSE. YOU DO NOT INTERSPERSE
COMMON SENSE into your diatribes. That's like saying, oh, should he then,
QUIT being a "spokesperson" for tryin to help save the earth?????
DUH................... THEN, YOU WILL LOSE the great "representative" you
have.
He pretty much walks his talk, buddy. We are "all" getting around via jet
travel, in case you ahvent noticed.... tyhis is small potatoes, for the good
efforts that are being put out.

RESPONSE: Apparently we disagree. It seems rather obvious that nobody particularly an environmental activist should fly in private jets which pollute as much in one hour as an SUV does in a year. Nothing could possibly justify
such opulence. This would seem to be the most common of common senses.
Regards,
Dr. Glen Barry

Really? c'mon! If he is speaking out so widely and creating pictures for "the cause" does it really do any good to tear him down by picking on him like this? At least his lifestyle evens out overall. I mean Al Gore released Inconvienient Truth & all we heard about were his electrcity bills. Hey, He made me unplugg all of my unused appliances, could you try to add in the good impact that these celebrities have on society, rather than giving people an excuse NOT to listen!

If we tear down our own, we are missing the point!

other than that, I love what you do & sign almost every petition that you send my way. Keep up the good work & sheesh, try using "The Secret" or somethin!

Love,

~J~

Sounds like a lot of middle class scare mongering , same as most of the other 'human causes'.
Just so the few can still enjoy what the majority shouldn't be allowed to.

Years ago we used to talk regretfully about the fissiparous left. I think those of us deeply concerned about global warming have to take a broad church approach and welcome anyone who shares and publicises that concern. The issue is too serious to allow time for infighting. Personal consumption habits matter, but action on government fronts is more important, and if DiCaprio can contribute to wider public awareness and greater public pressure on governments I'm not prepared to make his private jet habits into a major issue.

DiCaprio's film should be lauded, however conspicuous consumption such as private jet travel is clearly an unnecessary luxury. With that being said it is not in any way detrimental to "the cause" to shed light on an exceedingly wasteful aspect of Mr. DiCaprio's lifestyle. If anything this type of dialog has the potential to change what many people see as, "celebrity environmentalism", from a trendy and superficial movement to something more action oriented.

Personal responsibility should extend to everyone even for those of us with enough disposable income to purchase carbon credits. If environmental change is truly the crisis du jour, then there is certainly no excuse for private jet use.

My goodness, talk about shooting the messenger. How is he supposed to work at the height of the film industry without flying. If he didn't work in that industry and was not the success he is would anyone have had the courage and the foresight to make 11th Hour which, without his high profite, would then probably be ignored. Leo's media credit is what makes it viable. His own money went into the making of the film and speaking out about the environment has been his passion for the last ten years. Good for Leo!

Really admire those people making a stand at the airport but lets not start a battle over who is the greenest! We do need a viable alternative to the planes of today that is for sure and am sure Leo would agree.

I would like to join most of the other posters on this article in saying 'don't bitch about dicaprio'. True the jet is hardly eco-friendly but you sound like all the right-wing commentators who ARE actively trying to distract from the main picture. More action from the most powerful organisations (national governments of the largest and richest countries in the main part) will do more than a 1000 actors. Gore's comment that 'China could reduce emissions without economic pain' can simply be rephrased as 'China could reduce SOME emissions without economic pain' and be entirely true without you having to join the be-sarcastic-about-algore brigade.

I agree with the other comments. Bashing DiCaprio does no one any good. It's too late to be fractious about this profound problem that we face. The message needs to get out. People need to be aware, and if it takes a jet-setting celeb to do it then so be it. We need DiCaprio's help to raise public awareness in order to affect political change.

RESPONSE: It is not "bashing DiCaprio", it is highlighting the deadly use of private jets when perfectly acceptable alternatives are available as an example of hazards and inconsistencies of celebrity environmentalism. Are you saying Mr. DiCapria deserves our support even if his awareness building comes at the cost of continuing and validating the actions destroying the Earth? No way! One big difference between this forum and Mr. DiCaprio's at http://www.11thhouraction.com/ is we don't delete or block criticism of our views and actions. Try posting your concern with Mr. DiCaprio's conspicuous consumption there, and marvel at how quickly it is removed. In our Kantian view of the world, either all people should have access to private jets or none at all. It is either sustainable and right for the environment or it is not; it does not depend on your status. Mr. DiCaprio could easily swear off private jets and still be a star and activist. How can we expect the necessary sacrifices be achieved if only some are responsible for making them? Note that several hundred people have participated in the protest while a handful disagree here. Without sacrifice environmental activism by celebrities is meaningless greenwash, and dangerous to boot by leading others to think what you do does not matter as much as what you say.

I am disgusted at the super-rich using private jets as a taxi-service and then telling average people how to live to save the environment. Don't you see the hypocrisy?

One person's change means nothing unless the whole system changes. Criticizing and demanding perfection from others is useless and just feeds into defeat. We all change or we all reap the whirlwind. Love your passion but think you need to think again over this.

As a geologist I find the current discussion about global warming a lot to do about not much. I look at time in much larger chunks than most scientists. Once you realize that 1) During most of the last 1 billion years the earth had NO permanent ice, and 2) We are still coming out of an ice age that saw glaciers as far south as Kansas City about 14000 years ago, you realize that we are simply in a warming cycle that has been going on for thousands of years. During this time the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere has warmed and cooled along a general warming trend. Where this warming trend ends is anybody's guess. However, if the recent past (past few million years) is any indication, this trend will eventually reverse itself, and we will again go into another cycle of glaciation. If you think global warming is a danger to crops, just think of the "bread basket" of the U.S. being under a sheet of ice.

The world will not be saved flying around it in private jets. It doesn't matter if the plane belongs to Donald Trump, Leo DiCaprio, Carl Rove, Rummy, Dick Cheney, Barbara Bush or Gore Vidal or the Queen of England. Such practices are selfish and short-sighted. You can plant trees for years and trade carbon until the cows come home. Nothing will save this planet but using less fossil fuels, not more. Private plane flights and private automobile travel do a tremendous disservice to the earth and its citizens. We all deserve more better behavior from those who would call themselves our leaders. And it's time that we started to demand it! Good for those who speak up and shout it out!!

Dr. Berry,

Thank you for your response. And thank you for posting comments that run counter to your opinions. An open forum is the only way that real change can occur. The Heathrow protests are fantastic, however, I still disagree with your focus on Leo DiCaprio. I think it is very counter productive to what you are trying to achieve. Your websites are amazing, and I have gained invaluable information from them. But the important thing now is to change public opinion and create public action. I have seen the 11th Hour and it can do just that. Yes, private jet use by celebrities is harmful to the environment. But how many private jet users are making documentaries about global warming? As I said in an earlier comment, I am not condoning wasteful behavior by the rich and famous, but the most important thing now is to get the message out, which DiCaprio is doing. By doing that you can affect political change and create new laws that may prevent or severley tax things such as private plane travel. When we live in a country and a world that has yet to grasp the magnitude of this problem we should not be castigating those who are trying to wake people up. At this critical time saying "it is either sustainable and right for the environment or it is not" reminds me of Bush's comment "your either with us or against us." Nothing is completely black and white. Our very presence as a species on this planet, as it turns out, is not right for the environment. We all need to bind together at this crucial moment and help get the message out about the seriousness of global warming

Well, skimming some of the co mments, I'm smewhere in between - but my letter was rejected as "inappropriate." Here it is:

Dear Mr. DiCaprio,

I am extremely happy that you have used your time, money, energy and influence to create and promote “The 11th Hour,“ which the reviews indicate is marvelous.

However, I have to stand with the critics who find your use of air travel hypocritical, just as Mr. Gore’s lifestyle is dissonant with his excellent and much-needed message. Your use of private jets produces a bigger carbon footprint in one hour than does driving an SUV for a year.

As you are evidently well versed with regard to global warming and other environmental disasters, I assume you have read George Monbiot’s Heat. How to Stop the Planet Burning. Air travel was the one facet of modern lifestyle for which he could find no solution - it is simply one of the worst contributors to global warming. While I knew this and had already given up air travel, I was in shock at the information he presented.

CO2 emissions from planes almost doubled between 1990-2004 to 39.5 tons, and, along with water vapor, is four times more potent emitted at high altitudes than at sea level.
Furthermore, planes release other gases and particles whose overall warming impact is 2.7 times that of CO2 alone. A full plane causes about the same total warming per passenger as if they were all driving cars. Monbiot figured the amount of emissions the average Brit is responsible for and how much they needed to reduce it to meet the required limit. That annual allotment would be squandered in one one-way London-NY flight.

That’s a very dramatic demonstration of the problem -current aviation usage will overwhelm all reductions achieved elsewhere, much less its continued growth.

Monbiot noted the disconnect between the British government’s avowal to reduce carbon emissions and its plans to build and support more airports, a type of disconnect very present in the U.S.

Major reduction of auto and airplane use in the U.S. is clearly a very daunting task, but it must be done. We need major funding of mass transit and a greatly improved train system. These are things which you could use your influence to promote - one reviewer suggested that you see what you can do to get all those presidential candidate talking about environmental issues.

Government and businesses are going to have to switch to teleconferences instead of flying all over. We need an advertising blitz with officials at all levels, celebrities, etc. riding buses, bikes, and trains. Hollywood is going to have to give up the ubiquitous car chases - :) (How about the good guys and bad guys chasing each other on bikes, buses, boats and pogo sticks?)

I applaud the actions of the concerned citizens at Climate Change Camp at Heathrow who are objecting to the continuance of air travel, and would suggest that you join them - but you’d have to take a plane. Bill McKibben ran into this dilemma when he wanted to launch his “Step it UP 2007" Climate Change campaign. He didn’t want folks using a lot of fossil fuel to get to the action - so he and his group suggested actions everywhere and people flocked to set them up with marvelous creativity. http://april.stepitup2007.org/article.php?id=102protestors

People tie themselves in knots at the idea that they will have to “sacrifice” their cars and planes. Excuse me?? Look at the thousands of non-voluntary sacrifices that were taken in Katrina, in heat waves, floods, and other climate-related disasters, whose number is growing despite the drumbeat that it’s all just “natural cycles.” (Here in Minnesota, seven people so far have drowned in flash floods in the last several days, while crops in other parts of the state suffer from drought.)

We’re not talking sacrifice, but necessity; and our leaders have to model the necessity, not just talk about it.

Some are saying they won’t see your movie or support your work unless you swear off flying. Well, I’m not into throwing out the baby with the bath water - I haven’t seen your movie yet, but from all accounts it should get people thinking, and - hopefully - acting. I support that. But I definitely urge you to give up flying and make a big deal of it.

Trains are really fun, and they are a great place to meet people and spread your message - a sort of community is formed - and community is the only way we’re going to get through this - by joining together, sharing knowledge and ideas - not through what Bill McKibben calls the “hyper-individualism” of our lifestyle (Read Deep Economy - it’s great.) (Also see "The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil," http://www.communitysolution.org/cuba.html)

Keep up the good work, but take the next step.

Glen,

I must disagree with you this time around. While we may disagree with the practice of flying around in private jets and describe it for what it is (irresponsible), tearing down some of this issue's most effective advocates (as has been done with Gore, and now with DeCaprio) just plays into the hands of the sceptics and the right, which would like this issue to just go away.

It won't.........but if time is truly short, as we maintain, then those who spread the message, however flawed they may seem to us, need to have our tacit support, not for all of their choices, but for their work. Should we toss Gore because he has lived in an energy-hog house for a number of years, even if he is changing his ways now? Yes, his choices seem pretty moronic given his status as a spokesperson, but we've all got our imperfections, n'est pas? And let's be honest, Gore has and will continue to be one of the most influential voices in this discussion, and I think he deserves our thanks, not our criticism.

I know you choose not to fly, but for some of us that is simply just not going to work, especially given the lack of alternatives. I try to minimize my jet flights, but none of us are perfect, and some of us do make contributions to the larger cause that require us to travel at times. At the extreme are the glitterati. We can only hope that they realize the inherent contradictions in their lifestyles and their public pronouncements, and make changes where they can.

RESPONSE: Thanks Ewoc. It is not that I refuse to fly, I do, but I do so only when essential. I just find cognitive dissonance in the 11th hour messenger arriving to sound the warning practicing the very conspicuous consumption causing the problem. I do not intend to push hard on this campaign, but given the confluence of the Heathrow protests and Mr. DiCaprio's movie release, I felt the point needed to be made.

Well we can't expect Mr. Dicaprio to walk, ride his bike, or drive his hybrid to other countries. Nonetheless, it is quite disgusting how polluting aviation is. They could certainly find other means of transportation or limit their use..or dare I say, be "normal" and ride first class instead of using his private jet?
I think if we want to drain the air out of celebrity heads, we need to stop catering to them. With MTV, VH1 and other teen idol forms of media, we supply them with the money and attention they need to get away with such excessive and wasteful behavior. They do nothing yet make millions. Our entire society needs reform before we ridicule them. If anything, we should slap ourselves for hand-feeding these celebrities money.

www.globalwarminglife.com

Raising animals to feed humans contributes to 18% of the world's carbon emission. That's more than all the planes, cars, trucks, ships and trains combined.
Real environmentalists go vegan.

Thanks for making this an issue. Although what Al Gore and Lenardo DeCaprio do personally is not really the issue, their behavior provides an easy target for those who would propose we do nothing to address the issue of climate change. Having leaders who walk the talk is essential in changing peoples mindset. Reducing humanities foodprint is equal parts technology and cultural mindset. Hollywood types and the rich should be among the first to voluntarily restrain thier consumption.

If DeCaprio is going to drive a hybrid, but still fly in a private jet weekly, the hybrid is only a symbol... it doesn't really solve anything.

Instead of pointing fingers at each other when we are doing "something" to reduce our carbon foot print shouldn't we continue to look at our own behaviors and lead by example. We can attract more bee's with honey than vinegar!

How much does Leo help the planet? He is a meat eater by his own admission plus he flies. Funny how he didn't care much about the environment until he was protested making the "Beach" because of the destruction his crew caused while living in Thailand. I don't think he's done anything to bring attention to the environmental movement. He has found a nich to get him attention. No different than all of the celebrities who are involved with P.E.T.A. Half of those have gone back to their meat eating ways once being a vegan wasn't popular anymore. Lets see how long Leo hangs in.

People, if you care about Dicaprio, then you really need to go see Revolutionary Road!!!!!

I've seen the previews, and it seems amazing!!!! He does a magnificent job in the film, and I guess one can truly say that he's a man of many talents.

He cares about the environment yes, but he really doesn't just sign onto any film, just to make money. He signs onto the good ones, the ones that don't damage us as a people, and we should really go check out some of his work!!!!