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Leonardo DiCaprio does not seem to have the best luck when it comes to large, expensive boats.
Unlike his fictional experience in Titanic, however, the real-life actor has found himself in hot water this time.
Leo is best known for his series of ultra-young girlfriends, but he is almost as well known for his environmental activism.
That is why the former heartthrob is currently under fire for partying on a gas-guzzling superyacht.
Like many people who do not work in healthcare, retail, food, or other essential services, Leonardo DiCaprio was recently enjoying the holidays.
In his case, he did so on a superyacht during a trip to St. Barts.
The 315 foot, $150 million Vava II superyacht must have made his vacation feel like all of the comfort and convenience of a staycation.
Leo is a celebrity climate change ambassador for the United Nations.
He has correctly referred to climate change as “the most urgent threat facing our entire species.”
Using his fame and platform, he has tirelessly advocated for the world to take this seriously, even using his career to that effect.
But it is estimated that the superyacht on which he was partying consumes as much carbon while sailing just seven miles as the average car uses in a year.
The Vava II has six decks and features a helipad.
Refilling its fuel tanks costs a jarring quarter of a million. That’s a hefty gas bill — for a tremendous volume of fossil fuel.
The Vava II is the largest type of yacht manufactured in Britain.
Leo was there with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Camila Morrone, who had likely not been born yet while Titanic was filming.
Though they partied on it with friends, the superyacht belongs to Swiss pharmaceutical billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli.
For most of us who are not among the mega-rich, a house having a gym, a swimming pool, and a movie theater would be considered pricey at best.
This superyacht boasts all of that and more, and can accommodate 22 guests.
In addition to celebrating the New Year at a Unicef gala, Leo and Camila have been seen partying on the beaches of St. Barts before retiring to the superyacht.
Using a superyacht as a hotel might be a waste of money.
But it feels even more dire when the yacht releases in one mile the amount of carbon emissions that the average car emits in two months.
Is Leo a huge hypocrite for pushing to combat climate change while stomping such a wide carbon footprint on vacation?
The answer is complicated.
On the one hand, advocating for societal change does not in any way mean that you are hypocritical for existing in society.
Wanting food that is more ethically sourced is great, but you still need to eat in the mean time. The same with clothing, transportation, and more.
On the other hand, the use of a superyacht like this is excessive.
While reports say that the vehicle moved about a mile at most each day, the excess involved cannot be denied.
Everyone is entitled to enjoy themselves from time to time, but this is a great reminder that the lifestyles of the wealthy have a much larger impact.
But the most important takeaway is probably that the idea that individual actions are the key to solving the climate crisis is a carefully constructed lie.
We can all take steps to reduce our own footprint for many good reasons, but it’s sort of a “plastic straw ban” approach — because it won’t address the real problem.
Something like 70% of all global emissions are caused by just 100 companies. The way to solve this is through legislation, innovation, and sweeping reform.
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