My friends, the time has finally come. Sunday, February 28th, 2016 American actor Leonardo DiCaprio overcame the foul moods of the Oscar gods and won what some may argue was sanctioned since birth. An Oscar now resides in Leonardo DiCaprio’s home. While we crossed our fingers for the millionth time and braced ourselves for another potential loss, many, myself included, thought about why a win had not come sooner. For years I have watched DiCaprio act in movie after movie– from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, to Revolutionary Road, and Blood Diamond— and not win an Oscar. The incredulousness was enough to make me internally screen for him. This was despite the fact that, all things considered, DiCaprio lives a pretty charmed life. Regardless, somehow, in the midst of
controversy (a year in which no nominations for actors of color led to #OscarsSoWhite sparking many predominantly Black actors to boycott the Oscars in favor of hosting a benefit concert to raise money for Flint, Michigan) DiCaprio finally took home someone who has always wanted to be his friend, a statue named Oscar.
So what does any of this have to do with sustainability? Well, Leo won for his performance in The Revenant, a film taking place in the winter wilderness. However, during filming, the cast
and crew encountered such abnormal weather conditions that they had to relocate to the
southernmost tip of the planet just to find snow. As he took the stage to accept his award, DiCaprio spoke a lot of truths. Watch Leo’s speech.
“Making The Revenant was about mans’ relationship to the natural world, a world that we collectively felt in 2016 as the hottest year in recorded history…Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating….for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this… and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed… Let us not take this planet for granted, I do not take this night for granted.” (DiCaprio)
DiCaprio’s speech was not astonishing, nor did it say anything groundbreaking. We all witnessed the unusual weather of 2015. DiCaprio has also been outspoken about climate change for some time now. All that in mind, it is unsurprising that he used what the establishment would claim is the biggest night of his acting career to again be vocal on the issue. DiCaprio’s speech demonstrated concern for the world’s marginalized and for the planet as a whole. Yet, the content also left me asking myself, just what will it take for us to collectively do better? Is it enough to have a prominent actor speak out on such an urgent issue that many may not feel is so urgent — even as we experience abnormal weather leaving many of us feeling guilty, but grateful for a little more warmth? Is this to be expected? Should it be accepted? Just how much agency do we have as individuals? How do we move people and governments into acting before another disaster strikes? I ask these questions because, when it comes down to it, sometimes I still struggle with overcoming the urge for convenience when it comes time to rinse my plastic cup and recycle it. But then guilt kicks in. I’m just not so sure the guilt kicks in for everyone else.
DiCaprio’s speech left me with many questions– all of which are hard to answer. Yet, they’re worth asking. Thank you, Leonardo DiCaprio for giving voice to important issues. Tell your new buddy Oscar, I say hi.
Written by Darya Nicol, class of 2016