A Leader Of Our Time: Leonardo DiCaprio Praises Greta Thunberg

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio met climate activist Greta Thunberg to discuss their commitment to tackling the global climate change. Post that, he praised the Swedish activist for the stellar work she is doing and called her "a leader of our time."

On Friday, the Acadamy award winner 

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There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but @GretaThunberg has become a leader of our time. History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted. I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over. It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. It was an honor to spend time with Greta. She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet. #FridaysforFuture #ClimateStrike @fridaysforfuture

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Nov 1, 2019 at 10:22am PDT

He wrote, "There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but @GretaThunberg has become a leader of our time. History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted. I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over. It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. It was an honor to spend time with Greta. She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet."

DiCaprio'sInstagram post has more than three million likes. Thousands of comments have poured in, praising the duo.

According to a report by Dazed Digital, DiCaprio has donated $5 million to groups fighting the Amazon rainforest fires through his environmental foundation, Earth Alliance.

Also Read: Meet Climate Activist Ridhima Pandey, India’s Greta Thunberg

“You are failing us."

In September this year, Greta delivered an impassioned speech at the United Nations where she spoke about the dangers of climate change. In a powerful speech, she said to world leaders, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words". She accused the leaders of ignoring the science behind the climate crisis. "We are at the beginning of mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth – how dare you!’

Greta Thunberg, 16 is a Swedish environmental activist, who is credited with amplifying global awareness of the risks posed by climate change, and withholding politicians to account for their lack of action on the climate crisis. “To come here and say you are doing enough when the politics and the solutions are nowhere in sight. That you hear us and understand the urgency but no matter how sad and angry I am, I don’t want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and kept on failing to act, you would be evil.”

I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over. It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. - actor Leonardo DiCaprio

She questioned why youngsters like hers had to be the guinea pigs to new technologies that hardly exist. Why, she asked, should they take in the hundreds and millions of carbon dioxide generated by other generations. “How dare you think this can be solved by some technical solutions?” Greta shared some numbers pertaining to the levels of environmental damage and closed her speech with the powerful words, “You are failing us."

The teenage climate activist was also awarded with the ‘Ambassador of Conscience’ award by worldwide human rights organization, Amnesty International.

Four years ago, she was diagnosed with Asperger’s, which is a form of Autism but she doesn't consider it to be an impediment. “Being different is a gift, it makes me see things from outside the box. I don’t easily fall for lies, I can see through things. If I would’ve been like everyone else, I wouldn’t have started this school strike for instance.”

Picture Credits: Business Insider

Also: Why Are Adults So Unwilling To Listen To Greta Thunberg?