I love a celebrity that practices what he preaches. Leonardo DiCaprio has championed a lot of environmental causes – Vanity Fair even put him on the cover of the magazine for it, along with an in-depth article about his passion for green causes. Leo drives a hybrid car and had solar panels installed on his home in Los Angeles. And to further walk the walk, Leo just purchased an eco-friendly condominium in the Battery Park City area of Manhattan.
Every time he comes home, Leonardo DiCaprio is practicing what he preaches. The environmentally conscious actor has bought an apartment in Riverhouse, an eco-friendly building overlooking the Hudson River. The purchase was confirmed on Friday by Christopher Daly, president of Sheldrake Organization, the developer of the Battery Park City complex. Occupancy is slated for this summer.
The 264-unit condominium glass tower overlooks the river and a park, and boasts low emission paints, a 24-hour fresh filtered air system, a water treatment facility and rotating solar panels. DiCaprio seemingly also will have everything at his fingertips. The David Rockwell-designed high-rise features an indoor 50-foot lap pool, media cafe, fitness center, landscaped terrace and dog spa.
[From the Huffington Post]
Riverhouse’s website states that 1 bedrooms start at $835,000; 2 bedrooms from $1,185,000; 3 bedrooms from $1,725,000; and 4 bedrooms from $2,975,000. They also say they’re “High performance Oxygen Green condominium residences.” The building sounds amazing – DiCaprio is certainly not roughing it by any means. The building’s main floors will also have a branch of the New York Public Library and a City Bakery. It sounds just as sophisticated as any other building a celeb would inhabit – and in a way that’s a good thing. DiCaprio is showing people that they don’t need to have a diminished quality of life in order to be good to the earth.
Here are some images from Riverhouse’s website. It looks like a really beautiful, well-thought-out design.
now, this guy: i like.
now, this guy: i like.
This guy and all his contemporary cohorts have set back the cause of environmentalists everywhere by decades, mark my words. The kind of sensationalist crap these celebs spew has the opposite effect they’re looking for.
Let me elaborate: I would say nearly everyone agrees that it’s not a good idea to spew millions of cubic feet of crap into the atmosphere and water every day, we do breathe and drink that. But when you start going around trying to convince people that the world is ending, when it clearly isn’t, it turns people off the cause.
It’s the difference between a priest urging people to treat their neighbors better, and a guy standing on the side of the road with a sandwich board stenciled with “THE END IS NEAR!”
One gets you listened to and respected, the other gets you ridiculed and only serves to hurt the cause. We need small steps in the right direction, not lies to guilt us into changing.
This guy and all his contemporary cohorts have set back the cause of environmentalists everywhere by decades, mark my words. The kind of sensationalist crap these celebs spew has the opposite effect they’re looking for.
Let me elaborate: I would say nearly everyone agrees that it’s not a good idea to spew millions of cubic feet of crap into the atmosphere and water every day, we do breathe and drink that. But when you start going around trying to convince people that the world is ending, when it clearly isn’t, it turns people off the cause.
It’s the difference between a priest urging people to treat their neighbors better, and a guy standing on the side of the road with a sandwich board stenciled with “THE END IS NEAR!”
One gets you listened to and respected, the other gets you ridiculed and only serves to hurt the cause. We need small steps in the right direction, not lies to guilt us into changing.
“DiCaprio is showing people that they dont need to have a diminished quality of life in order to be good to the earth.”
No, in fact, he’s making it look like you have to be a multimillionaire to be both green and comfortable.
“DiCaprio is showing people that they dont need to have a diminished quality of life in order to be good to the earth.”
No, in fact, he’s making it look like you have to be a multimillionaire to be both green and comfortable.
Scott – I agree with you to a point. Although I think they are two issues. Environmental pollution is a problem to one’s immediate health, however many modern products are almost wholly based on petrochemicals – plastics, paints, carpeting etc. Which create dioxins in their creation – and do emit them as they break down (especially by heat or sunlight). These are nasty substances which are generally carcinogenic and can reduce male fertility.
The production of CO2 through combustion and manufacturing of items such as concrete have different ramifications.
I certainly agree that over-sensationalising things, means that many will either ignore it or wholly believe the naysayers because it will require sacrifices.
The fact of the matter is that while Earth’s temperature has been rising past previous trends of peak temperatures every 30 years or so,(1913 and 1940, 1976 highpoints) – and settling into more gradual patterns over the past number of centuries. The last time the earth had a higher concentration of CO2 than now the sea level was 6m higher. the last time it was 2degrees celcius higher than now the sea level was 2m higher.
This may not seem like much – but consider how many major cities – including the US – that are built on the coast or in estuaries? That leaves the decision to either abandon the existing infrastructure or protect it. Who is going to pay for that? Where the coast can’t be protected the people living there will have to move, presumably inland, needing services and housing for this migration. By defending coastal infrastructure, that will likely lead to the loss of beaches as they cannot be replenished by dunes, and wipe out areas which need the beaches for tourism (like Florida and California)
Then you have how that impacts on flood patterns. At present there are certain events that used to happen at statistically regular periods – e.g. 20 year heatwave or drought, 10 year minor flood etc.) The most severe of these would be regarded as a 1-in-100 year event where flood waters rise above the normal flooding. It is believed that rising sea level will compound more minor flooding and droughts, resulting in a 1-in-45 year event, even 1-in-10 should the sea levels rise dramatically.
So basically, the global temperature is rising – whether one wants to believe it’s down to Mother Earth or Henry Ford. This would happen anyway, but at present it seems to be happening at an unchecked level. Because the world has so much invested in infrastrucure and housing near the points – it is in our interest to reduce the impact that we have now, because we will be dog-poor in the future to pay for it.
Scott – I agree with you to a point. Although I think they are two issues. Environmental pollution is a problem to one’s immediate health, however many modern products are almost wholly based on petrochemicals – plastics, paints, carpeting etc. Which create dioxins in their creation – and do emit them as they break down (especially by heat or sunlight). These are nasty substances which are generally carcinogenic and can reduce male fertility.
The production of CO2 through combustion and manufacturing of items such as concrete have different ramifications.
I certainly agree that over-sensationalising things, means that many will either ignore it or wholly believe the naysayers because it will require sacrifices.
The fact of the matter is that while Earth’s temperature has been rising past previous trends of peak temperatures every 30 years or so,(1913 and 1940, 1976 highpoints) – and settling into more gradual patterns over the past number of centuries. The last time the earth had a higher concentration of CO2 than now the sea level was 6m higher. the last time it was 2degrees celcius higher than now the sea level was 2m higher.
This may not seem like much – but consider how many major cities – including the US – that are built on the coast or in estuaries? That leaves the decision to either abandon the existing infrastructure or protect it. Who is going to pay for that? Where the coast can’t be protected the people living there will have to move, presumably inland, needing services and housing for this migration. By defending coastal infrastructure, that will likely lead to the loss of beaches as they cannot be replenished by dunes, and wipe out areas which need the beaches for tourism (like Florida and California)
Then you have how that impacts on flood patterns. At present there are certain events that used to happen at statistically regular periods – e.g. 20 year heatwave or drought, 10 year minor flood etc.) The most severe of these would be regarded as a 1-in-100 year event where flood waters rise above the normal flooding. It is believed that rising sea level will compound more minor flooding and droughts, resulting in a 1-in-45 year event, even 1-in-10 should the sea levels rise dramatically.
So basically, the global temperature is rising – whether one wants to believe it’s down to Mother Earth or Henry Ford. This would happen anyway, but at present it seems to be happening at an unchecked level. Because the world has so much invested in infrastrucure and housing near the points – it is in our interest to reduce the impact that we have now, because we will be dog-poor in the future to pay for it.
That’s a poor photoshop job on that magazine cover. It looks like deCaprio is hovering above the ice.
That’s a poor photoshop job on that magazine cover. It looks like deCaprio is hovering above the ice.
at least hes trying to help out the environment! i wish more and more people would become aware of this
at least hes trying to help out the environment! i wish more and more people would become aware of this
the earth has cooled down and heated up for millions of years. look at the history of the earth. dinosaurs lived in a humid, tropical environment, cooling down happened with an iceage, heating up happening now again. its not a huge deal. el nino and el nina also have a lot to do with the global temperatures.
the earth has cooled down and heated up for millions of years. look at the history of the earth. dinosaurs lived in a humid, tropical environment, cooling down happened with an iceage, heating up happening now again. its not a huge deal. el nino and el nina also have a lot to do with the global temperatures.
I realise my last post was very long-winded. But in a nutshell you’re generally right Rianna…
However, the Earth is warming up to such a rate that we can’t adapt our lifestyles and infrasturcutre to match – if global sea levels rise, major cities on the sea or on tidal rivers are at risk.
So either way, millions if not billions will need to be spent to rebuild or defend them. Simple as. So although it may not affect us now – give it 30 – 50 years and it certainly will affect the quality of life then – less money to spend on the interwebz that’s for certain.
I realise my last post was very long-winded. But in a nutshell you’re generally right Rianna…
However, the Earth is warming up to such a rate that we can’t adapt our lifestyles and infrasturcutre to match – if global sea levels rise, major cities on the sea or on tidal rivers are at risk.
So either way, millions if not billions will need to be spent to rebuild or defend them. Simple as. So although it may not affect us now – give it 30 – 50 years and it certainly will affect the quality of life then – less money to spend on the interwebz that’s for certain.
The earth is ever changing and we will have to adapt. I think we have to be good stewards of the land we are giving but I don’t think there is much we can do to change the earth’s climate one way or another. I also don’t believe that the short studies we have done in comparison to the earth’s age could possibly be comprehensive enough to give a clear picture of what the earth was like hundreds, thousands or even millions of years ago.
Bottom line, live responsibly but don’t go spastic with panic.
The earth is ever changing and we will have to adapt. I think we have to be good stewards of the land we are giving but I don’t think there is much we can do to change the earth’s climate one way or another. I also don’t believe that the short studies we have done in comparison to the earth’s age could possibly be comprehensive enough to give a clear picture of what the earth was like hundreds, thousands or even millions of years ago.
Bottom line, live responsibly but don’t go spastic with panic.
Oh and bravo for Leo. I don’t agree with his sense of doom and urgency but I do commend him for living what he believes and not being terribly obnoxious about it either.
Oh and bravo for Leo. I don’t agree with his sense of doom and urgency but I do commend him for living what he believes and not being terribly obnoxious about it either.
Good on Leo. And right on Mariead. Couldn’t have said it any better.
The world might not end tomorrow or even in a 100 years, but human beans MUST start living sustainably. Otherwise we’re all screwed
Good on Leo. And right on Mariead. Couldn’t have said it any better.
The world might not end tomorrow or even in a 100 years, but human beans MUST start living sustainably. Otherwise we’re all screwed
Now the sun is a bit lower in the sky my solar hot water panels don’t get hot enough quick enough . Two options to increase the temperature are. 1. A reflector to concentrate the heat from a couple of square metres down to a small heating coil.
Hi Leonardo DiCaprio,
I like you eco- friendly apartment as it made you a true enviornmentalist.And like to stay in your apartment as I would like to work for your NRCD fund and fight global warming with you.
As an enviormentalist myself I am really
searching for work with him in Global
Green. Love you so much Leo,
Farah