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Heroes

Leonardo DiCaprio shocked the fossil fuel industry with a simple but powerful move.

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League of Conservation Voters

Leonardo DiCaprio is essentially a dreamy, human version of Captain Planet.

Dude loves the environment, and he does more than just talk.

He joined in on the People's Climate Change March last fall:


Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

And spoke at the U.S. State Department's conference on ocean conservation:

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

Not to mention, he's very generous with his money and time.

And he tends to bring other celebs along on his quest to save the earth:

DiCaprio on stage with Bono at the inaugural Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala. Photo by Pierre Suu/Getty Images for the LDF.

It's safe to say DiCaprio definitely has a love for our wild and wonderful planet. And like many wonderful and giving partners, he's not afraid to splurge a little to show the good ol' earth how much he cares.

DiCaprio is one of thousands who has pledged to stop investing in fossil fuel companies.

The movie star is part of the Divest Invest Coalition, an initiative that encourages individual investors, foundations, and institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels and in businesses that contribute to climate change and instead invest in renewable energy and eco-friendly companies.

DiCaprio at the Divest Invest press event. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

DiCaprio pledged to divest his personal wealth and charitable funds from fossil fuels. He's joined by 2,000 other individuals (including The Hulk) and more than 400 companies and institutions.

Together, their divestment commitments total close to $2.6 trillion!

"Climate change is severely impacting the health of our planet and all of its inhabitants," DiCaprio said in his announcement to the press, "and we must transition to a clean energy economy that does not rely on fossil fuels, the main driver of this global problem."

So where is DiCaprio investing his money instead?

Well, the short answer is pretty simple: in the trash.

Yes, the trash. That trash.

Trash:

Photo by woodleywonderworks/Flickr.

DiCaprio recently invested an undisclosed amount in a company called Rubicon Global, which uses software to connect businesses to waste management companies to help them find cheaper, closer places to haul trash and recycling (think Uber for garbage).

DiCaprio continues to raise funds and awareness for environmental action through his charitable foundation.

His second annual Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala raised $40 million for the group, which boasts four primary areas of focus: ocean and wild land conservation, climate change, and protecting biodiversity.

We have been able to support organizations that are working to solve some of today's most pressing environmental issues. Throughout today, I'll post about a few of them and share the incredible work they do. Want to put a spotlight on our beautiful planet and the things that you do to make a difference? Use #LDFoundation and I'll share a few of my favorites.
A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on

So hat's off to you, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Thanks for using your influence to help save the planet and inspiring celebs and us regular folks to do the same. With our powers combined, anything is possible.*


"The power is yours!" GIF from "Captain Planet."

*Except maybe getting you that Oscar. Sorry.

True

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