A Note From Leo...

Hey bitches - "Kev" doesn't feel like writing anything tonight. Please enjoy this essay from Leonardo DiCaprio.

Growing up as a young boy in the 70's and early 80's in Los Angeles, I often had to stay inside during the infamous and frequent summer 'smog alerts'. I also vividly remember the news of the energy crisis on TV. While our air is cleaner in LA now, asthma rates are still on the rise, and our dependence on oil - in LA, and across the United States -- has grown dramatically, as has the impact of global warming from human-generated greenhouse gas-emissions.

The alarm bells are ringing across the globe (e.g., the melting Arctic, parts of Antarctica breaking off, the disappearing glacier on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, etc.). To the 50% of us that are urban dwellers, cities may seem immune from these far away calamities, but we are not.

As the damages from severe storms are on the rise, we often see the image of valuable waterfront property being lost to beach erosion and rising sea levels. However, the most severe impact from flooding and elevated threats to public health from global climate change will be to our cities - in particular our cities' poorest residents.

Slum dwellers in Mexico City have to resort to putting all their furniture on stilts whenever floodwaters cascade down the streets. In London, up to a million tons of raw sewage was pumped into the Thames recently, as the aged sewer system was overcome by torrential rain. Outbreaks of West Nile Virus are occurring across the United States. Most dramatically of all, cities like New Orleans and Miami, or even parts of NY and LA, could end up routinely flooded if rising temperatures lead to increased melting ice and substantial sea-level rise.

The sprawling growth of cities and our insatiable consumption drives an increase in energy use to power all our 'stuff', more cars for longer commutes, and, sadly, an ever growing level of greenhouse gas emissions.

There are signs of hope, and cities are leading the way. Mexico City, New York, Berlin, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Portland, and many others are instituting action plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Los Angeles, my hometown, recently passed a policy to increase production of renewable energy - from sources like solar and wind - to 20% of total production. Local agencies in LA made commitments to over $11 billion in new, green construction, dramatically reducing the energy needs of new and retrofitted buildings.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not just about protecting the environment: smart growth slows sprawl and keeps people closer to work; improved public transportation reduces the daily commute; energy efficient housing means lower bills to pay for low-income families; low emission vehicles cut pollution on the streets; passing green building and energy policies creates high wage, clean jobs; and purchasing solar power is often cheaper than buying candles or kerosene for the "energy-poor" in cities and towns in the developing world.

While the US federal government fails to act to curb global warming, cities and states are leading the way. However, mayors and city councils around the globe must go further, forging new alliances with nonprofits, businesses, and ordinary citizens to steadily reduce our energy use and our greenhouse gas emissions. I urge individuals around the world to stand up, and ask local leaders, if they haven't already, to pledge to purchase cleaner cars, build green facilities, and buy green power like wind or solar energy. Our actions may determine if we become a casualty in the war for a habitable planet for generations to come.