We all know that Leonardo DiCaprio is one helluva actor, but over the last decade, he has also been developing a stellar reputation as an environmentalist. Now, in his latest global effort, he’s calling on fans to help him save endangered dwellers of the sea.
Leo is reaching out to the public with a new petition through a website called AVAAZ.org. The “Departed” star writes: “Within days, governments could begin turning wide stretches of the Antarctic ocean into the world’s largest marine sanctuary, saving the habitat of whales, penguins, and thousands of other polar species from industrial fishing fleets. But they won’t act unless we speak out now.”
DiCaprio hopes to gather a million signatures, pressuring Russia, South Korea and a few other nations into siding with the others who have agreed to protect over 6 million square miles of the Antarctic ocean. “This week, a small group of negotiators will meet behind closed doors to make a decision,” the 3-time-Oscar-nominee explained. “A massive people-powered surge could break open the talks, isolate those attempting to block the sanctuary, and secure a deal.”
As of Monday morning, DiCaprio’s efforts were well on their way, with some 771, 460 signatures secured. “The whales and penguins can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to defend them,” he says. “Let’s change negotiators’ minds with a massive wave of public pressure — Avaaz will surround the meeting with hard-hitting ads, and together we’ll deliver our message to delegates via a deafening cry on social networks. Sign and share this urgent petition.”
DiCaprio is very busy these days, with Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and Baz Luhrman’s “The Great Gatsby” due to hit theaters in the next several months, and filming currently underway on the Martin Scorsese drama “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Nevertheless, the 37-year-old superstar is still making time for his underwater friends – if you want more information and would like to add your name to the rapidly-growing petition, head on over to AVAAZ.org.