Leonardo DiCaprio Meets With Donald Trump To Talk Climate Change And Green Jobs

Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio met with President-elect and climate change skeptic Donald Trump on Wednesday. The two prominent men discussed climate change and DiCaprio tried to sell Trump on a topic he stressed early and often during his presidential campaign – jobs.

Terry Tamminen, the CEO of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF), confirmed the meeting at Trump Tower in New York. Tamminen said they gave a presentation to Trump, daughter Ivanka, and other members of Trump’s team on how renewable, clean energy could boost the economy by creating millions of jobs.

“Today, we presented the President-elect and his advisors with a framework – which LDF developed in consultation with leading voices in the fields of economics and environmentalism – that details how to unleash a major economic revival across the United States that is centred on investments in sustainable infrastructure,” Tamminen said. “Our conversation focused on how to create millions of secure, American jobs in the construction and operation of commercial and residential clean, renewable energy generation.”

The meeting lasted for about 90 minutes and DiCaprio gave Trump a copy of his documentary Before the Flood, which addresses the dangers that Earth could face because of climate change. Trump promised to watch it, according to a person who was familiar with the meeting but not authorized to speak publicly.

“The president-elect expressed his desire for a follow-up meeting in January, and we look forward to continuing the conversation with the incoming administration as we work to stop the dangerous march of climate change, while putting millions of people to work at the same time,” said Tamminen.

The Oscar-winning actor, who has been a strong advocate of fighting climate change and preserving wildlife, previously met with Ivanka Trump and presented her with a copy of the film.

On Monday, former Vice President turned environmentalist Al Gore met with Trump and Ivanka.

“I had a lengthy and very productive session with the President-elect,” Gore said after the meeting. “It was a sincere search for areas of common ground.” He said the conversation was “to be continued.”

On Wednesday after Trump’s meeting with DiCaprio, word got out that Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt would be the President-elect’s selection to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt is climate-change skeptic whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies. In the past Pruitt has called the EPA’s rule “unlawful and overreaching.” In May, Pruitt said the debate of climate change is “far from settled” and “scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.”

Back in 2012, Trump did say that climate change was a hoax created by China. and his promise to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement.

In a May 2016 speech outlining his energy reform plan, Trump stated he would lead the nation toward total energy independence while accounting for “rational environmental concerns” like clean air and water. He also talked about voiding the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan and walking away from the Paris climate accord. Trump also said that the United States should pursue all forms of energy, including renewables, without privileging one source over another.

[THR]