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Cody Jenkins

Professor Moore

English 1302

29 January 2017

The Wolf of Climate Change

Leonardo DiCaprio is a profound actor in todays world. In 2016, he won his first Oscar

in the movie The Revenant. He is also known for the movies such as The Great Gatsby, The Wolf

of Wall Street, and The Titanic. Although his career choice is to be an actor, he has another

passion, which is protecting the Earths integrity. DiCaprio takes part in various ways to protect

the Earth. For example, protecting dolphins from fishing nets, providing clean water for villages

in Africa, or stressing his concern for the oceans acidifying. In 2014, DiCaprio decided to take

up these issues with the United Nations. He spoke to the United Nations about various issues

related to climate change and including some ideas on how to resolve them. The examples,

passion, and location of Leonardo DiCaprios speech addresses the importance of unity to the

United Nations, to protect and preserve the Earth as a whole.

In DiCaprios speech, he used various examples to highlight some of the effects climate

change has on the Earth. The first example he states in his speech are the Droughts are

intensifying (DiCaprio). Scientists claim, Global warming caused by human emissions has

most likely intensified the drought in California by 15 to 20 percent (Gillis). These intense

droughts are also caused by the rise in global temperature every couple of years. DiCaprio states

that Our oceans are acidifying, with methane plumes rising from the ocean floor (DiCaprio).

This causes carbon dioxide to be absorbed into the salt water. Due to human emissions this

acidification is affecting marine life all across the ocean. According to National Geographic there
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has been a 25-percent increase in acidity over the past two centuries (National Geographic).

Another example DiCaprio used is the West Antarctic and Greenland ice-sheets melting at

unprecedented rates (DiCaprio). Gradually every year these ice sheets have been melting away,

and seemingly the rate has been increasing as time goes on. This not only affects Greenland and

the West Antarctic, but the whole world. The water from these ice sheets dissipates into the ocean

and increases the water level. This increase in water causes inches of land on the beaches to be

lost each and every year. These are extremely important controversial topics when it comes to

stressing the idea of global warming to the United Nations, because this does not affect just one

country, but the whole Earth. With all these issues and more, DiCaprio wishes everyone to unite

and help resolve them moving forward into the future.

The passion DiCaprio used in his speech to urge the United Nations to create unity

throughout the world came straight from his heart. Throughout the speech DiCaprio shows that

he cares for the world and how important it is for him to see change for the benefit and longevity

of all life on Earth. He even brings up the fact of him being an actor and how he plays fictitious

characters often solving fictitious problems (DiCaprio). This is said to explain his opinion on

the people who do not believe in climate change, and how they ignore factual evidence,

believing that climate change is fiction. DiCaprio not only just states the issues associated with

climate change, but also ways to resolve them. He states in his speech We need to put a price

tag on carbon emissions and eliminate government subsidies for oil, coal, and gas companies,

since these are the main culprits of climate change (DiCaprio). Due to these energy sources being

accused of damaging the environment, DiCaprio also speaks about the benefits of renewable

energy and how it is beneficial economically. Near the end of DiCaprios speech, he pleads to the

United Nations, saying, We beg of you to face it with courage and honesty (DiCaprio). This
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line shows that DiCaprio has a passion for the Earth and wants the United Nations to help him in

what he says is the most urgent of times (DiCaprio). DiCaprios overall goal is to educate the

people of the world and hopefully make them concerned enough to take action.

The location of this speech is significant because it is being presented to the United

Nations. This assembly took place in New York, New York, as DiCaprio was surrounded by

some of the most profound world leaders, eager to hear any issues going on around the world.

This location was the best possible way to resolve these issues, so DiCaprio had risen to the

challenge and stressed his ideas to the world leaders. It is uncertain whether DiCaprios speech

made an impact in the world, although over the past couple of years production in wind, hydro,

and solar energy have been steadily increasing. Whether that is a result of his speech is unknown,

more than likely the production of this renewable energy is caused by advances in technology,

and of course to prevent further carbon emissions. DiCaprio knew going into this speech how

much influence the United Nations had on the world, and he hoped by stating his ideas and

concerns the United Nations could possibly pursue them. The Earth could no doubt benefit from

these ideas of renewable energy sources, further protecting it from climate change.

The studys and examinations show that climate change is a real factor in todays world.

The increasing droughts, weather, ocean acidification, and melting of the Greenland and West

Antarctic ice sheets shows that something is occurring and over the years it is progressively

getting worse. That something is more than likely the carbon emissions created by humans. In

order to prevent further damage something obviously has to be done before it is too late. This is

why Leonardo DiCaprio has taken it a step further. It is obvious in his speech that DiCaprio has a

passion for the Earth and wants to preserve it. Which is why he spoke to the one and only

organization that had the power to do so, the United Nations. During his speech, DiCaprio
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emphasized on his concerns for climate change and ideas on how to resolve them. If there is even

a small increase in the number of people and companies who use alternate renewable energy and

monitor their carbon emissions, the world will be a better, safer, and cleaner place to live.
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Works Cited

DiCaprio, Leonardo., "Address at the United Nations Climate Summit." American Rhetoric, 24

September 2014.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/leonardodicapriounclimatechange.htm.

Accessed 10 February 2017.

Gillis, Justin., California Drought Is Made Worse by Global Warming, Scientists Say. The New

York Times, 20 August 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/21/science/climate-

change-intensifies-california-drought-scientists-say.html?_r=1. Accessed 10 February

2017.

Ocean Acidification. National Geographic,

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/explore/pristine-seas/critical-issues-ocean-

acidification/. Accessed 10 February 2017.