Leonardo DiCaprio’s Urgent Message to World Leaders: “Now is our moment for action” (Hard News Story)

Leonardo DiCaprio gave the opening address to the Climate Change Summit at the UN Headquarters. 

The newly appointed UN Messenger of Peace urged the over 900 world leaders in government and business, as well as the broader public to take greater action on climate change policy.

“Now is our moment for action” he said.

“We need to put a price tag on carbon and eliminate government subsidies for coal, gas and oil companies.”

“It is a question of our survival.” DiCaprio said. 

DiCaprio, called on the influential attendees to work together, reminding them of the abundance of scientific evidence regarding climate change. “Every week, we’re seeing new and undeniable climate events, evidence that accelerated climate change is here now.”

DiCaprio compared how public and government apathy towards climate change was similar to his own acting profession.

“I believe humankind has looked at climate change in the same way: as if it were fiction, happening to someone else’s planet, as if pretending that climate change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away” Dicaprio said.

DiCaprio warned of the urgency of the climate issue and the important roles that the leaders had “You can make history or be vilified by it.

“We beg of you to face it with courage and honesty” he said.

The summit serves as the start of global talks for world leaders to negotiate and discuss in the lead up to the United Nations gathering in Paris in December of this year.