Leonardo DiCaprio lives in a "green" house, eats organic food and drinks filtered water instead of bottled. Now he has made an eco-documentary, The 11th Hour, a 91-minute film that he produced and narrated. It opens in the next few weeks around the country. DiCaprio, 32, talks with us about how we affect the Earth and what we can do to change course.
Leonardo DiCaprio talks to USA WEEKEND
Q: What changes would make the most difference in our environment?
"It's about buying energy-efficient appliances, light bulbs and things in your home. It's about endorsing new green technologies such as hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles. Solar panels. Buying local. But my main point -- and what I'm trying to advocate as much as possible -- is just being smart about what it means to be a consumer. Every time you put money down to pay for something, you're advocating the way that company does business. If they have a terrible environmental practice, you're then contributing to that in some way."
Q: After all the research for the film, did you make any specific changes in your life?
"I'd made a lot of those specific changes already. I think maybe the big misconception about the people in the environmental movement is that we're trying to impose our beliefs on others or trying to make people live a specific way. It's really just about creating public awareness to the point where we can demand tangible change from the powers that be."
Q: Can the members of this generation become activists, or are they too consumed with entertainment and purchasing power?
"It has to start with things like this documentary. We need to get kids young. That's where it started with me. I can remember watching documentaries in which I learned about mass extinctions of species in rain forests. That emotionally engaged me as a young kid, and I said to myself, 'When I grow up, I'd love to make a difference in this field.'
