Movie Star Alert

A scruffy and ponytailed Leonardo DiCaprio discusses renewable energy outside my office window with a professor from Stanford University.

Leonado DiCaprio (l)

Back in September, DiCaprio spoke at the UN as a “messenger of peace” addressing the opening of the body’s Climate Summit. He urged the delegates to make meaningful progress toward solutions and called on world leaders to end what he called “the free ride” that industrial polluters have been given in the name of a free market economy.

“The good news is that renewable energy is not only achievable but good economic policy,” DiCaprio told the more than 120 world leaders assembled. “New research shows that by 2050 clean, renewable energy could supply 100 percent of the world’s energy needs using existing technologies, and it would create millions of jobs.”


DiCaprio along with the Stanford professor are involved with The Solutions Project, a national outreach effort that also involves actor Mark Ruffalo, film director Josh Fox and others to raise public awareness about switching to clean energy.

This was the most celebrity excitement in our department since 2005 when actress Cameron Diaz guest taught a course in "Managing Sustainable Building Projects" in a tight white sweater.