Leonardo DiCaprio
One of the most respected leading men in Hollywood for good reason, having founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to promote global sustainability. Owning not just the ubiquitous Toyota Prius but also two other electric cars, he has also installed solar panels at his home. After creating, producing and narrating the environmental documentary ‘The 11th Hour’, he was asked to sit on the jury for the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The Prize was founded to honour the environmental legacy left by the late Sheikh Zayed (PBUH), rewarding companies and individuals for advancements in green technologies.
James Cameron
The most successful film director of all time, is also known as an ardent environmentalist. As well as raising green issues in ‘Avatar’ and supporting political campaigns in the USA to combat climate change, Cameron also pays to offset all of his carbon emissions accumulated when crossing the globe.
Cameron was impressed by the environmental work in Abu Dhabi when touring Masdar City in 2010. “Through Masdar, the leadership of the UAE has taken a visionary path towards the future,” he commented. “In the heart of a major oil producing nation, Masdar is a shining ideal of what a long term, sustainable future for energy can be. This is a test bed and this is where the technology is going to come from that will allow us to have a renewable energy future.”
UAE ambassadors
Locally, well-known Emiratis are also making their environmental voice heard.
Ali Al Saloom, of Ask Ali fame, is an Environment Ambassador for the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and often lends his weight and name to many of their campaigns. In addition to presenting a wildlife series, Ali has most recently led ‘Ali’s Carbon Footprint Challenge’ in association with EAD to encourage students to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing energy and water use in their daily lives.
The Green Sheikh, also known as Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi of the ruling family of Ajman, champions holistic living and moving towards a sustainable future. He has applied the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to medicine and is leading a drive for people to donate unused medicine to hospitals. Previously trained in chemical and petroleum engineering, Sheikh Abdul decided to turn from polluter to protector of the environment and is using social media to spread his message throughout the UAE and the world.
Have your say
Do you have a favourite eco-minded celebrity? Or do you think that there is more that they can do to help the environment? Let us know on The Planetarians Facebook and Twitter or read some of the articles on www.theplanetarians.com
Emma Kirkman is a freelance production and communication professional, and passionately devotes her spare time to helping The Planetarians to spread the environmental message. Post a message to Emma at www.facebook.com/theplanetarians or www.twitter.com/theplanetarians
